Théâtre des Petites Lanternes Presents PROJET MONARQUES (Monarchs Project)

After five years of research, meetings, preparation and writing workshops across Canada, Théâtre des Petites Lanternes has announced Projet Monarques at Centre culturel of the Université de Sherbrooke on November 8, which will also be a fundraiser for the upcoming cross-country tour. The world premiere of the show honours Remembrance Day, a way of keeping the memory of those who served alive, using the arts as an amplifier. Projet Monarques will tour Quebec in January in French; the English version will follow in April with presentations across Canada in theatres and military environments.

Initiated in 2017 at the request of veterans and military families, Projet Monarques, written by Angèle Séguin & Amélie Bergeron, and directed by Amélie Bergeron, is a bilingual, pan-Canadian theatre project that addresses operational and post-traumatic stress injuries experienced by veterans and military personnel, as well as the innumerable repercussions on their lives and those of their loved ones. Projet Monarques is a poignant theatrical work which is both disturbing and essential.

Every year, monarch butterflies travel thousands of kilometers to complete their migration. It is a long and perilous journey that will cost the lives of many, but which will also allow future generations to be born and live. It is this challenging and transformative journey, marked by elusive trauma that inspired the title of Projet Monarques.

On stage, the voices of hundreds of veterans, soldiers and their loved ones are condensed into five figures-five lifelines testifying to the daily lives of people who are affected in different ways by post-traumatic stress syndrome. This creation is a journey to encounter secrets and silences; it reveals stories, raw words, cries from the heart and calls from the soul. It is an encounter with human beings in their most intimate moments; a work that exposes us to fragility, both our own and that of others, and that goes beyond the self to bear witness to human existence.

"In the face of this human drama, it was not for us to offer an opinion on the relevance of war or the army, but rather to ensure that our artistic work could help unlock the words of those who dare not speak of this delicate and complex issue." -Angèle Séguin, artistic director of Théâtre des Petites Lanternes, and Projet Monarques co-writer

Between February and May of 2021, writing workshops held from Nova Scotia to British Columbia made it possible to meet with more than 200 veterans, soldiers and their loved ones in order to lift the veil on their realities and their suffering. They broke their silence to deliver over a thousand pages of powerful and evocative accounts. It is from their words that this documentary theatre piece emerged.

Supported by a steering committee made up of dedicated men and women from both the civilian and military worlds, the vast creative project was set in motion using The Great Harvest of Words, a dramaturgical process through which Théâtre des Petites Lanternes has produced a series of artistic collaborations on five continents for over more than 15 years.

Former government minister Marie Malavoy and retired Brigadier-General Richard Giguère lent their voices to Projet Monarques as co-spokespersons in order to help raise awareness and understanding of the fragile and complex issue of mental health, as well as the role that the arts can play in contributing to wellbeing in society. They wish to get the conversation going by offering a meeting point between the civilian environment and the military environment, in order to step beyond any possible stigma and prejudice.

"If we can share our pain with others, open a space in it, then it can become the fertile ground from which to start a new life. The Projet Monarques leads us to undertake this long and demanding but life-saving journey, which allows us to regain our freedom." -Marie Malavoy, co-spokesperson, Projet Monarques

"Contributing to breaking the silence surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder and promoting the wellbeing of those who are affected and their loved ones; this is the mission that I give myself as part of this support for the Projet Monarques." -Richard Giguère, co-spokesperson, Projet Monarques

The two co-spokespersons are also associated with the November 8 fundraiser for Projet Monarques, which will support the mission of Théâtre des Petites Lanternes to take the production on the road both in French and in English. During the cocktail reception before show donors will be able to participate in a silent auction and enjoy a moment of meetings and exchanges in a friendly atmosphere with some of the people who have made it possible to put this major project together.

 

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