Forever Yours, Marie-Lou a Tremblay classic...

Michel Tremblay's classic 7 play Forever Yours, Marie-Lou (Toujours ta Marie-Lou) now at Centaur until May 25. As the mega-Anglo theatre complex Centaur Theatre closes for the 2007-08 season so do the remnants of any trace of its' previous artistic director.

Well almost anyway...out with the old and in with the old could be said about reviving this old horse. This Play gives a whole other meaning to 'Odd Couple'. It is an in your face perspective of the way Tremblay sees the Québecois family. I know that there are many still out there that resemble and mirror the image he projects in the Play, but I also know that in general the 'culture Québecois' has evolved by leaps and bounds in the past 35 years and this cliché image of that generation is an isolated dying out breed.

This old horse would best be either shot and sent to the glue factory or at very least sent out to pasture. Some 'classics' are best keep for school, church, community productions; they don't need to be trotted out every few years to a major production house, chewing up major production budgets, with elaborately clever sets and light design, in order to make them appear to be relevant.

The best thing going for this Tremblays' Play is that it is one of his shorter ones. Running as one act for 1h20 with no intermission.

If you are in withdraw from not seeing a Tremblay Play in Montreal in the past two months then by all means go; He is a master when it comes to writing for actresses who want to portray a 'Mother' of a character. But if you have never seen Tremblays' work on stage then wait for something 'en francais' or my favorite, 'Belles Soeurs'.

With so many other plays to choose from now playing in Montreal, see below, this one can be 'a miss'.