La Troupe du Jour, Saskatoon’s Professional French-Speaking Theatre Company

par Forsyth, Louise H.

As itsfirst French-speaking communities began to be established, Saskatchewan's firstFrench-Speaking theatre company emerged at the beginning of the 20^thcentury. But it has only been since 1985 that the province has had its very ownprofessional French-speaking theatre company. La Troupe du Jour has taken upon itself to become a centre ofartistic creativity in Western Canada. As a result, the group played a majorrole in the creation of a community of Fransaskois artists. Over the course ofits existence, the company has staged a number of original works, as well asclassics taken from the vast repertoire of French language literature. In 2003,La Troupe du Jour was inducted intothe Margaret Woodward Theatre Hall of Fame.

Article disponible en français : La Troupe du Jour, théâtre professionnel francophone de Saskatoon

Presenting French-language Theatre in Western Canada
The Struggle to Find a Place to Call Home
A Program Reflective of the Community's Cultural Diversity
A Theatrical Approach to Promoting the French Language
The Cooperative Spirit: a Very Productive Necessity
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
DOCUMENTS COMPLÉMENTAIRES

PresentingFrench-language Theatre in Western Canada

Amateur theatre was first organised by parishes and schools with the arrivalof the first settlers in the early 20^th century. University ofSaskatchewan's Unithéâtre was theprovince's first French-speaking company. Under Ian Nelson's guidance, thecompany would focus on staging great French classics. 1985, La Troupe du Jour was created under theinitiative of a group of former students ^{(NOTE 1)}. The company firststarted as a Fransaskois community theatre. Since then, La Troupe du Jour has worked to ensure that each year's programmeoffers Saskatchewan's French-speaking and Francophile public a variety ofquality plays, thereby giving Fransaskois comedians and authors a public stageand a voice. From its very first season, LaTroupe du Jour has fulfilled the mission its creators had established for themselves:to promote the creativity, training, production and continuity ofFrench-language theatre in Saskatchewan. As a result, the group became anaccurate reflection of the Fransaskois' unique perspective on society. Itmanaged to draw an interested public and quickly became community oriented-acharacteristic which indicated that this theatre group had strong culturalroots in the Fransaskois community. LaTroupe du Jour's performances also became opportunities for members of thecommunity to socialise and work towards establishing a vibrant community.Furthermore, being a travelling theatre company, it has immersed itself in thediversity of the province's French speaking communities and takes an activepart in the emergence of a unique brand of theatrical culture. La Troupe du Jour's success-after 23years of quality performances-is more than enough proof of this.

Early on, La Troupe du Jour gave itself the "mission of becoming thecentre of theatrical creativity in Western Canada". Consequently, each seasontheir programme offers at least one original play from an author from the Westernprovinces. La Troupe du Jour also supports playwrightsby organising workshops, festivals and theatrical readings; by promotingthe Cercle des Écrivains [The WritersCircle]; and by assisting with the publication of plays. These diverse activities are intendedto offer direct assistance in promoting and the making the French language morewidely known. It contributes considerably to the vitality and longevity of the French-languageculture in Saskatchewan.

The company's tours of the province's schools are a vital part of itsannual programme. In addition, it has two forums in which it interacts with thepublic. The first is the main theatre program, for which season tickets areavailable, generally features four productions: an original Fransaskoiscreation, a play chosen from among the repertoire of French, Quebec orinternational classics, a travelling show and at least one show for a youngeraudience. The second milieu is intended to be a meeting place for authors andis used as a platform for the provincial vocational training program, whichprovides services for community and school theatre companies. La Troupe du Jour also tours the manydifferent localities of Saskatchewan. The company's induction into the MargaretWoodward Theatre Hall of Fame in November of 2003 (the first theatre company tohave this honour) is evidence of the troop's professionalism and of its keyrole in the development of Fransaskois theatre and of French-language culturein Western Canada on a national and provincial level.

TheStruggle to Find a Place to Call Home

Since day one, the people in charge of La Troupe du Jour have had to meet the challenge of findingpermanent facilities and stage on which to perform. On twelve differentoccasions, the company has had to find new space for its offices and costumes,as well as for staging rehearsals and presenting its workshops. On ninedifferent occasions it had to find a new place to stage its shows. Theseconstant changes have been in constant conflict with the company's desire tomaintain a regular audience and to strengthen its presence in the Fransaskoiscommunity. Nevertheless, the members of this courageous theatrical troupecontinue to face this considerable challenge.

The troupe's first productions were presented on various stages. Itsettled into its first facilities in 1987, but had to leave the following yearbecause of a lack of funding. This first theatre was actually a former funeralhome which had a low ceiling. Its gloomy atmosphere inspired them to name itthe "Théâtre Bas-Côté [The Skid RowTheatre]". Despite having now moved into a new building, they hope to keep thename chosen twenty years ago. Improved finances have allowed for La Troupe du Jour to move into theirsecond "Théâtre Bas-Côté" in 1990.That same year, Denis Rouleau's arrival as artistic director enabled them tobecome a professional theatre company ^{(NOTE 2)}. Unfortunately, a new set of financialproblems surfaced in 1996. This meant the troupe had to leave their newlyestablished stage and share a series of more modest facilities with variousother small Saskatoon theatre companies, Today, La Troupe du Jour stages its shows in a church hall in the BroadwayDistrict. Despite certain inconveniences, this facility offers theatre in apublic space already familiar to the inhabitants of Saskatoon.

The future now seems brighter: in 2006-2007 a feasibility study showedthe viability of a project that would offer permanent professional space forquality theatre productions. It would include: a rehearsal hall, wardrobespace, space for costume and set design, storage space and office space. In2007, the announcement of a fundraising campaign was made under the theme of‘passion' and ‘perseverance', necessary qualities for the realisation of theproject and attributes that members of LaTroupe du Jour have never lacked. The French-speaking and Francophilecommunity will be enriched by the theatre production centre the troupe hopes tobuild. Furthermore, it will contribute to Saskatoon and the province's culturaldiversity.

A ProgramReflective of the Community's Cultural Diversity

Since its beginnings in 1985, La Troupe has presented more than 80 theatricalproductions to the public, of which around forty are original works, totallingmore than 700 showings. The group needed to ensure that it could offer a variedprogram, while keeping in mind the various levels of mastery of its public hadof the French language, as well as the diversity of their cultural backgrounds.The public audiences include Saskatchewan-born French-speakers, as well asindividuals coming from Acadia, Quebec and from other Canadian provinces. Someeven come from other French-speaking countries.

This diversity is also found among the creators. Saskatchewan-bornLaurier Gareau is a talented playwright, journalist, stage director and historianby profession. On a regular basis, he has also been actively involved in thetroupe's various projects from the very earliest years. Gareau, like his sisterAdrienne Sawchuk and playwright Madeleine Blais-Dahlem, owes his intital trainingand schooling to Saskatchewan's religious communities. His sister is an actressand writer of radio plays while the Blais-Dahlem is a playwright whose works,such as the 2008 showing of "Les VieuxPéteux [The Old Farts]" have been performed by the troupe. New French worksbeing infrequent and often almost entirely unavailable in a milieu largelydominated by English-speakers, these productions help to promoteFrench-language culture. It allows young people and adults alike to maintain avibrant relation with their culture and their language.

The production of the final version of Laurier Gareau's La Trahison [The Betrayal] (1995) was aturning point in La Troupe du Jour'shistory because it helped nourish and encourage reflection on the relationsbetween the community and the Catholic Church. This play follows the tragicevents of Batoche in 1885 and severely criticises the Catholic Church's part inthe defeat of the Métis. With thisplay, Laurier Gareau breaks with convention and offers a fresh and penetratingperspective of the history of the province's French-speakers and the Métis. In2007, the company also produced the spectacular "Deux Frères [Two Brothers]" by David Baudemont, a French geologistand recent Canadian citizen. It is an original work that reflects the greatdiversity of French-speaking authors in Saskatchewan.

La troupedu Jour draws a remarkably diverse public. Among them arenumerous French-speakers as well as Francophiles, whose comprehension of thelanguage varies from person to person. It is therefore understandable that notevery spectator will deeply appreciate the various stories and stage techniquesor respond to the diverse themes and levels of language in the same way.

Each year, in order to face that challenge, the troupe needs to offer a programthat will please a mixed audience, by making good use of the stage and the setsat its disposal-in addition to finding the necessary resources to meet withthis challenge. Year after year this remarkable team rises to the challengeand, as a consequence, their shows almost always sold out.

ATheatrical Approach to Promoting the French Language

This success is largely due to the talent and devotion of Denis Rouleau,La Troupe du Jour's artistic director,who has been on staff since 1989. It is his work that has enabled this extraordinarycompany to develop and continue to maintain its high artistic standards andinfectious creative energy today. Rouleau himself has also been able to profitfrom the unique challenges faced by a French language based theatre based inSaskatchewan. These challenges include: casting, set design, management and languagenegotiation in the workplace. Under his direction a dynamic, almost visionary,company has emerged.

With the years, the company has created a vast range of new stagetechniques, playing on bilingualism without making any artistic compromises.Methods used by Rouleau and his colleagues intended to deal with theconsiderable challenges they face are simple and efficient. These methods areappreciated by the public and ensure effective communication. They include:exercises in body language, characters being played by two actors, use of propsrich with connotation, astonishing repletion of scenes, the breaking down theboundaries of the stage and the use of lighting and music. These modest methodscreate unexpected results.

Rouleau always avoided taking the easy way, while favouring stageefficiency. In 2007-2008, in order to broaden the scope of the audience, La Troupe du Jour introduced a system ofsubtitles, which enables English-speaking husbands, wives, girlfriends andboyfriends to attend the plays without losing too much of the play's content. La Troupe du Jour's ups and downs were becamefresh occasions for introspection on what is truly essential vs. what is disposablewhen creating theatre. The harsh working conditions the troupe had to face havetransformed the company into a sort of laboratory in the fields of drama,acting, set design and language.

TheCooperative Spirit: a Very Productive Necessity

It is important to point out that LaTroupe du Jour would never have been able to achieve all it did to promote theatricalcreativity, had it not had the help of Fransaskois creators and playwrightssuch as Laurier Gareau, Raoul Granger, Ian Nelson, Adrienne Sawchuk, etc. Onemust also not forget the company's capacity to collaborate with other theatrecompanies from the West, whether from the English or French communities. Thegroup has been in close collaboration with French-language companies such as: La Compagnie Oskana of Regina, Le Cercle Molière of Saint-Boniface, L'UniThéâtre of Edmonton and La Seizième of Vancouver. In Saskatoon, wheneverit was possible, the troupe also shared the stage, equipment and costumes withEnglish-speaking companies: Persephone Theatre, 25^th Street Theatre,Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.Furthermore, playwrights associated with LaTroupe du Jour have greatly benefited from contacts and connectionsestablished with the Centre des AuteursDramatiques of Montreal. La Troupe duJour has adopted the collaborative model established by the Centre des Auteurs Dramatiques, which bringsplaywrights and other people interested by writing plays together. Thiscollaborative modal involves having a text read out loud (often by professionalactors) at every step of the writing process, staging public readings; encouragingexchanges and translations; and preserving manuscripts and documents associatedwith these creative works. This resulted in the creation of a community ofartists that otherwise would have never existed.

Saskatchewan's citizens are people who love living, laughing and crying,working on artistic projects, reflecting on what goes on around them, exploringuniversal questions, expressing their essential freedoms and liberties, as wellas safeguarding their shared memories-without being slaves to it. These arepeople for whom horizons are broad and it is this outlook on life that isreflected in La Troupe du Jour'sshows.

The publication of some of their creative works ensures their art willremain alive in a province where, in 2008, just over 1,5% of the population consideredthemselves to be French-speakers ^{(NOTE 3)}. What is encouraging is thatthere is a new generation of actors, stage directors, musicians, set designers andplaywrights emerging, who are always ready to take part in ongoing projects. La Troupe du Jour offers an excellentbasic training to those who wish to pursue a career in theatre.

Not only did La Troupe du Jour create a large Fransaskois theatrical repertoire,it was also able to establish close relations with artists of the Fransaskoiscommunity. As a result of its collaboration with other English-speakingcompanies, La Troupe du Jour has alsocome to play an important role in keeping Saskatchewan's theatre alive andwell. All these activities work to ensure that French-language will not bemarginalised, but rather it will remain fully integrated into the province's artisticnetwork and continue to develop a variety of bilingual theatrical initiatives. Thetroupe has also put together an impressive quantity of theatre archives ^{(NOTE 4)}detailing its history, thereby helping to preserve Fransaskois culturalheritage and keep the community's shared memories very much alive.

Louise H.Forsyth

ProfessorEmeritus

Universityof Saskatchewan

NOTES

Note 1. University of Saskatchewan's Unithéâtre was founded by Ian Nelson anda few students. In 1985, they chose Jean-Paul Sartre's Huis clos fortheir first show. Still today, Ian Nelson - librarian, actor, stage director,and translator remains the mainstay of LaTroupe du Jour. He also founded the Cercledes Écrivains [The Writers' Circle] of which he is the theatrical advisor.

Note 2. As these words are being written, Quebec-born Denis Rouleau is still La Troupe du Jour's artistic director.It is certainly due to his many talents, creative energy, devotion and couragethat La Troupe du Jour has been ableto stay on course so admirably and take its place as a permanent professionaltheatre company in a province where about 1,5% of the population speaks onlyFrench and little more than 5% speaks both French and English.

Note 3. According to the 2006 census from Statistics Canada.

Note 4. See the concise bibliography for the titles of some of the texts writtenby La Troupe du Jour.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anon., Le théâtre fransaskois. Recueil de pièces dethéâtre. Tome 1, Regina, Les Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume, 2006 (contient Deblé d'inde et de pissenlits de Lorraine Archambault, Le mariage de lafille Gareau de Raoul Granger, Il était une fois Delmas, Sask... Maispas deux fois! by André Roy, with the collaboration of Claude Binet).

Beaulieu, Anne-Marie, «La Troupe du Jour présente:Deux frères», L'Eau vive, vol. 36, no 6 (February 15^th,2007), p. 9.

Beaulieu, Anne-Marie, «Deux frères. Un spectacleréussi», L'Eau vive, vol. 36, no 9 (March 8^th, 2007), p. 12.

Blais-Dahlem, Madeleine, Les vieux péteux, (unpublishedfinal édition, 18/02/07, 67 pages).

Blais-Dahlem, Madeleine, Foyer. Le théâtrefransaskois. Recueil de pièces de théâtre. Tome 2, Regina, Les Éditions dela Nouvelle Plume, 2007. 121-167 (this edition also includes: 5 ans byDavid Baudemont, Le costume by Raoul Granger et Mis à part by GuyMichaud).

Collectif, L'R libre, Théâtre et contes urbain,Saint-Boniface, Les Éditions des Plaines, 2002.

(includes Le cadeau by Gérard Ducasse, Lagrande gravité by David Baudemont, L'étrange aventure by LaurierGareau, Les chemins de la mémoire by Marie-Pierre Maingon, Foyerby Madeleine Blais-Dahlem, Le bal (tale) by Raoul Granger, Lescoquelicots de Sarajevo by Hilda Ducasse).

Forsyth, Louise, «Les enjeux d'une pratique théâtraleet dramaturgique francophone à Saskatoon. Notes pour un historique d'Unithéâtreet de La Troupe du Jour», Revue historique, vol. 11, no 1 (October,2000), p. 1-10.  

Forsyth, Louise, «La Troupe du Jour de Saskatoon: unecompagnie-laboratoire», in Hélène Beauchamp et Joël Beddows (dir.), Lesthéâtres professionnels du Canada francophone. Entre mémoire et rupture,Ottawa, Le Nordir, 2001, p. 135-150.  

Gareau, Laurier, «Le festival théâtral Zone. Oyé! Oyé!Fransaskois», Revue historique, vol. 17, no 3 (March, 2007).  

Gareau, Laurier, Joe Bolduc, Private Eye. Quatrepièces pour adolescents, Regina, Les Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume, 2002 (includesLes aventures de Joe Bolduc, Private Eye (1987), Le bad guy et laveuve (1989), Un Moose Jaw vaudeville (1990), Un nerd comme moi (1989)),p. 43-69.

Gareau, Laurier, «Postface», dans Le théâtre fransaskois. Recueil depièces de théâtre. Tome 1, Regina, Les Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume, 2006,p. 151.  

Gareau, Laurier, La trahison, Regina, Les Éditions de la NouvellePlume, 2004.  

Gareau, Laurier, «The Betrayal», dans Nancy Bell (dir.), 5 from theFringe, Edmonton, NeWest Press, 1986.  

Nelson, Ian, «Préface», Le théâtre fransaskois. Recueil de pièces dethéâtre. Tome 1, Regina, Les Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume, 2006, p. I-II.

Recent Articles

La Troupe du Jour, Saskatoon’s Professional French-Speaking Theatre Company

Contents