Serge BOUCHER

Serge Boucher, a graduate of the acting program at Cégep Lionel-Groulx now shares his time between teaching and writing. His first play, Natures mortes, was staged by Michel Tremblay. His second play, Motel Hélène, was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award. It was created at the Festival international des Francophonies en Limousin, in France and directed by René Richard Cyr. Revived in Québec, Montreal and Ottawa, it was brought to television and produced in English by Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. 24 poses (portraits), another of his plays, was nominated for a Masque and for a Governor General’s Literary Award. It was performed hundreds of times at Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui and while touring Québec before it was brought to television and staged in English at the Alberta Theatre Project. Avec Norm, one of his most recent plays, was created at Théâtre d’aujourd’hui. Serge Boucher also wrote an eight-hour television series currently in development for CBC French. After co-authoring two comedies with Marie-Louise Nadeau, he first wrote Natures mortes, produced in November 1993 by Théâtre de Quat’Sous, then Motel Hélène, which was awarded the Prime à la création du Fonds Gratien-Gélinas in 1995 and produced in 1997 by Théâtre Petit à Petit. Les bonbons qui sauvent la vie and là were produced by Compagnie Jean Duceppe in 2004 and 2007. – 2009-01-13

 
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Titles in alphabetical order
24 Exposures Life Savers Motel Hélène (English version) Still Lives With Norm
 
Life Savers
  English translation by Shelley Tepperman.
  Original title: Les bonbons qui sauvent la vie (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2004).
Running time
  1 Hour 45
Cast
  6 W, 2 M  More about the cast   More about the the suggested set
Synopsis
  35 year old France, is in prison for a murder she does not recall having commited. Her situation draws her family back into the centre of her life. The family members avoid any hint of the intimacy they’re convinced they’re looking for through their visits to prison or family get-togethers.
Excerpt
  « LISETTE: The world will never be the same again. / A beat. They eat. / You can feel it, you can already feel it. / A beat. / We won’t ever be the same. / A beat. / New York isn’t that far from here. / A beat. / It’s right next door.… / RAYMONDE: Don’t be shy Coco, there’s more! / ROBERT : Damn is it ever good to eat! »
Press review
  « This is Boucher’s most arresting play. Be warned: you may be blown away by the way he presents his ideas. Les bonbons qui sauvent la vie captures the everyday tragedy of words that are left unsaid. » Michel Bélair, Le Devoir, November 16, 2004

 
With Norm
  English translation by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
  Original title: Avec Norm (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2004).
An excerpt of this translation has been presented as a public reading by CEAD, February 19th 2007.
For this translation, commissioned by CEAD, both playwright and translator took part in a Translation Residence held by CEAD, February 8th-18th 2007. This residence was coordinated by Alain Jean, dramaturg at CEAD and Chris Campbell, dramaturg-adjoint at National Theatre (London, UK).
This English translation was presented in a staged public reading by CEAD at Festival TransAmériques, May 31rst at Studio Théâtre de la Place des Arts, in Montreal. More about other CEAD's activities
Running time
  1 hour 45
Cast
  2 W, 2 M (2W2M)  More about the cast   More about the the suggested set
Synopsis
  Sent by an aid agency for the poor, François dives into the world of Normand, a small, timid and somewhat simple-minded man. Gravitating around him are his sister Nancy, a former drug addict who tries hard to turn her life around, his neighbour Tony, an old handicapped woman with whom he spends his lonely hours, and the shadow of Batman, a friend we never see. Disturbed by the contradictions he witnesses, François is soon confronted with his own limits.
Excerpt
  « NORMAND: Nancy says got move out. / FRANCOIS: Where? / NORMAND: Downstairs. / FRANCOIS: Here? In this block? / NORMAND: Dad give me lots of furniture, for here, all of this mine, couch, big tallboy in the kitchen to put plates in, no room downstairs, won’t fit, too small, don’t want to chuck it, Bobby says he’ll take it all way gone, want to hang on to it, dad give it me, don’t want to move, like it here, he’s coming to see me Sunday dad, it’s his birthday, coming here with mum, bought him a birthday present. »

 
24 Exposures More about the publication
  English translation by Shelley Tepperman. Published by PUC Play Service, Toronto, 2001; Playwrights Canada Press, 2005.
  Original title: 24 poses (portraits) (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 1999).
First production
  Co-producted by Alberta Theatre Projects and Green Thumb Theatre at PanCanadian playRites, January 26, 2001
Running time
  1 hour 30
Cast
  3 W, 5 M  More about the cast   More about the the suggested set
Synopsis
  On a beautiful August Saturday, in the back yard of a Charlebourg bungalow in a Québec suburb, the Dubé family pays a visit to Richard, the oldest son, on his 40th birthday. The play takes place in twelve hours in the lives of simple people who joke, laugh, and love all wrong, but love all the same.
Excerpt
  « FRANÇOIS, mocking : I'm telling you, that François is so good-looking! (They all laugh.) / CAROLE : You're really cute with your hair all short. / ANDRÉ : And with those glasses you look like you think your shit doesn't stink. / CAROLE : No he doesn't! I think he looks more intellectual. / ANDRÉ : Same thing! »
Press review
  "With a rare intensity, Boucher captures in a few brushstrokes the drama of a whole life." Solange Lévesque, Le Devoir, November 10, 1999

 
Motel Hélène (English version)
  English translation by Crystal Béliveau, Morwyn Brebner and Judith Thompson.
  Original title: Motel Hélène (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 1997).
Running time
  1 hour 30
Cast
  1 W, 2 M (1W2M)
Synopsis
  Between Mario, her macho boyfriend, and François, the gay clerk at the neighbourhood 7-Eleven, Johanne tries to make sense of her life as a woman. Guilt-ridden by the disappearance of her 9-year-old son, she spends her days sewing and dreaming of a better life, until she can’t stand it any longer...
Excerpt
  « JOHANNE : […] I threw his bread and peanut butter in the garbage, he yelled that he was hungry, so yeah, you're right, I did probably say "so starve". I don't know, I don't know what I said but I took him, I threw him outside. I think I said "you're gonna stay there until your father gets home". And then I went back inside and locked the door, I LOCKED THE DOOR so he would never come back inside I SHUT MY CHILD OUTSIDE […]. »
Press review
  "Boucher builds a perfectly plausible, deeply compassionate story. (...) This is one of the finest new plays to come out of Montreal’s French-language theatre in the 25 years I’ve been seeing theatre. You must see Motel Hélène." Gaëtan Charlebois, Montreal Mirror, March 13, 1997.

 
Still Lives
  English translation by Shelley Tepperman.
  Original title: Natures mortes (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2002).
This translation was presented at “Interact 94”, a translation showcase co-produced by CEAD and Factory Theatre, Toronto, 1994.
Running time
  2 hours 30
Cast
  1 W, 2 M (1W2M)
Synopsis
  At the age of fifteen, Stéphane escapes family violence by taking refuge in the home of his bachelor neighbour, Jean-Guy. Six years later, he finds himself in the same apartment trying to console Diane who, abandoned by her boyfriend, is left alone to face terminal illness. The play presents variations on the themes of desire, loneliness and the inability to communicate.
Excerpt
  « DIANE : […] Maybe because you have to be as fragile as a flower to be able to appreciate them. As… vulnerable. It's crazy but they're something I have a lot of trouble getting rid of. It's such a shame to throw flowers in the garbage. It breaks my heart. […] »
Press review
  "Serge Boucher has captured a desperate, implacable drama in this powerful play reminiscent of the hyper-realistic theatre of the German playwright, Franz Xaver Krœtz." Robert Lévesque, Le Devoir, October 8, 1993.

 
PLAYS AVAILABLE AT CEAD (Some notes in French may appear below)
  Là [2006] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2007)
Avec Norm [2004] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2004)
Les bonbons qui sauvent la vie [2004] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2004)
24 poses (portraits) [1998] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 1999)
Motel Hélène [1995] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 1997)
Natures mortes [1990-1993] (Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2002)
Avec le soleil... la mère! [1990] (Auteurs dramatiques en ligne inc. – ADEL inc. 2004) Copie disponible pour le prêt au CEAD, in collaboration with Marie-Louise Nadeau
 
PLAYS NOT YET TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH (Running time: 1 hour and more. Written and produced in French since 2000. Some notes in French may appear below)
  Là [2006]
Published by Dramaturges Éditeurs, 2007.
First production in French: Compagnie Jean Duceppe, February 2007
Running time: 2 hours
Cast: 8 W 7 M
François ends up in the restaurant where he used to eat as a child, which will soon be demolished and tune into a pharmacy. All the regulars customers meet to celebrate the event. François’s uneasiness is caused by the anxiety that sweeps away memories, nostalgia, desires, aspirations, doubts … leaving nothing else but life. Là is a gallery of snapshot portraits.