“When I was a little tiny boy… when I was a little tiny girl… when I was a little tiny fish in the sea… a little tiny fish in my mother… I was just a wee bit of a boy… a wee bit of a girl.”

Thus begins the play, the words spoken by a chorus telling the tale of a life, the before and after, back when Marguerite was but a glimmer, a tiny promise of a little girl. With glimpses of yesterday, seeds of poems, bits of words and familiar lullabies, the stars and planets sing their bewitching song. The accordion evokes the sea while pretty petals shimmer in the moonlight. Loves me, loves me not. And from the other side of the looking glass, Marguerite smiles.

Based on a poem by Pierre Morency (“Autour de notre vie je gravite non encore né non encore formé”), this piece by Jasmine Dubé is a journey into Marguerite’s heart. The play started out as a theatre exercise for young artists, many of whom had taken part in a workshop on playwrighting for young audiences. It began one summer as La Pépinière and blossomed with each passing season, inspired by various artists in workshops and exchanges in Quebec, France and Belgium, all working to create a piece that would touch very young audiences. Thus from June to September and from December to March they cultivated their little garden, seeking the right words and images until the first young shoots of Marguerite burst into flower at the 2009 Festival Petits bonheurs in Montreal.

Performances during the week are reserved for school groups, with weekend performances open to the public. Note that spectators are welcome to arrive up to 45 minutes before the show to take part in an activity for children.

For the past two decades, Théâtre Bouches Décousues has been presenting plays for very young audiences, establishing a tenderness and closeness between adults and children. Since many in the audience are encountering theatre for the first time and are unfamiliar with its codes and conventions, the artists can take nothing for granted. That love for a fresh outlook and new approach is a driving force at Théâtre Bouches Décousues.

An actor, writer and director, Jasmine Dubé is a co-founder and the artistic director of Théâtre Bouches Décousues, and has directed several plays for the company since 1986. Her play Bouches décousues was performed more than 350 times in Quebec, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Her other works (all of which have been presented at the NAC) include Petit Monstre (March-April 1993), La Bonne Femme (November 1995), Le Bain (February1997) and L’Arche de Noémie (December 1998). In 1996 Jasmine Dubé received the Arthur Buies Award for lifetime achievement, and at the Artquimédia gala in 1998 was awarded the Agathe de distinction for her artistic influence both nationally and internationally. In 2005 Théâtre Bouches Décousues received the Grand Prix from the Conseil des arts de Montréal for its substantial contribution to the vitality and development of local theatre. During a writing residency at the Institut Canadien in Quebec City, Jasmine Dubé began to work on the triptych Les Jardins d’enfants in 2007, the same year her company celebrated its 25th anniversary. Her play Marguerite was a finalist for the Prix Louise-LaHaye.

“Jasmine Dubé has done the opposite of just about everything one usually sees in shows for kiddies… and done so brilliantly.”
Jean Siag, La Presse

Written and directed by
JASMINE DUBÉ

Artistic collaboration
PATRICE CHARBONNEAU-BRUNELLE
and the cast

With
CHARLES DAUPHINAIS
MARIE-EVE HUOT
PIER-LUC LASALLE
PHILOMÈNE LÉVESQUE-RAINVILLE

Tableaus
RENO HÉBERT

Produced by
THÉÂTRE BOUCHES DÉCOUSUES

Presented in collaboration with
Radio-Canada

School Matinées
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 AT 9:45 A.M.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 AT 11:00 A.M.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12 AT 9:45 A.M.
FRIDAY, APRIL 13 AT 9:45 A.M.
FRIDAY, APRIL 13 AT 11:00 A.M.

Public Performances
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 AT 10:00 A.M.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 AT 11:30 A.M.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 AT 3:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 AT 10:00 A.M.
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 AT 11:30 A.M.
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 AT 3:30 P.M.

Timing
30 minutes with no intermission

NAC SALON
53 Elgin, Ottawa

Tickets
$13.96

NAC Box Office
(Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
www.nac-cna.ca

Ticketmaster
1-888-991-2787

Groups (10 persons or more)
613-947-7000, ext. 634
grp@nac-cna.ca

Subscriptions
613-947-7000, ext. 620

Sylvain Lavoie
Communications Officer
French Theatre
National Arts Centre
tel.: 613 947-7000 ext. 396
tool free: 1 866 850-2787 ext. 396
cell.: 613 979-2636
sylvain.lavoie@nac-cna.ca
www.facebook.com/TheatreFrancaisCNA