Let the artists speak for themselves

Peter Hinton introduces the 06-07 Season

Peter Hinton on Scorched

English-language translation commissioned and developed by the NAC English Theatre Play Development Programme, with support from the Marti Maraden Canadian Play Creation Fund

Scorched is the story of Jeanne and her twin brother Simon, and their arduous journey into the mystery of their mother Nawal’s life. Like most children, they want to understand their origins. Witnesses of their bitter story assist in the investigation, and the discovery of the truth forces them to reconsider who and what they are. Here is a play about the art of understanding. What is a sane response to silence, catastrophe and terrorism? For some, it is war and bloodshed; for others, the only meaningful skills one needs to face such questions are the abilities to read, to count and to sing. It is a struggle between the creative and destructive forces at work in the world. Scorched is about three linked destinies searching to solve the enigma of their existence, to discover behind the darkest dune the wellspring of beauty.

"There is a certain reticence these days to tell our stories, a tendency to position the story as a trap for intelligence, so that the latter can only be expressed through formalism pushed to the limit. History tells us that the story has often been the cradle of dictators – as such it must be rejected, banished. What, then, are our stories today – or, to put it another way, what stories can we trust to provide a gathering place for our individual and collective souls? What role do time and space play in a story, in this age where concepts of time, place and action bear no relation to the sense of disconnectedness –dissipation, even – that informs our era, mutilating happiness, God, desire…? Fictional time, imaginary time, time transformed. How all of this can coalesce in space to become a story which, as always, transports us into the unknown – precisely because, in history as in life, we cannot predict what will come next." Wajdi Mouawad

A voice that speaks for memory, in the past dozen years, Wajdi Mouawad has established himself as a powerful and uniquely original player on the contemporary theatre scene. Born in Lebanon in 1968, he fled the war-torn country with his family; they settled in Montreal after spending a few years in Paris. He obtained his acting diploma in 1991 from the National Theatre School, where he also studied stage writing and directing. After graduating he embarked on a quadruple career as an actor, writer, director and producer. In all his work, from his own plays and adaptations to the productions he has directed, Wajdi Mouawad initiates a dialogue that investigates the tension between the importance of personal freedom and the no less essential renunciation of the self. Scorched is a significant and important play for our times. This coproduction with Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre presents a masterpiece of one of Quebec’s most vital and relevant theatre artists.

"At a certain point in this overwhelmingly emotional and excellent play, the whole audience realizes something at one time, and everybody breathes together. That is the magic moment. That is the moment that you wait for when you go to the theatre, when you go to any live performance. It's the thing that hooks us. The thing that makes us feel we can't just live ordinary lives."

Adrienne Clarkson

"In the struggle between yourself and the world, back the world." Franz Kafka

Wajdi Mouawad, Playwright
Photo: Laird Mackintosh
Illustration: Lino

This event is part of the Quebec Scene Festival. Visit the Quebec Scene website to discover more festival programming.