Les Belles-Sœurs
Les Belles-Sœurs is a two-act play by Québécois playwright Michel Tremblay, first written in 1965 and premiered in Montreal in 1968.
Les Belles-Sœurs is a two-act play by Québécois playwright Michel Tremblay, first written in 1965 and premiered in Montreal in 1968. Set among working-class women in 1960s Montreal, it is widely regarded as a landmark of Quebec theatre and the first professionally produced play written in joual. It centres on Germaine Lauzon and her relatives and neighbours as they gather to paste trading stamps into booklets.
Background and first production
Les Belles-Sœurs was written in 1965 and first staged at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert in Montreal on 28 August 1968, directed by André Brassard. Its premiere is commonly described as a major turning point in Quebec theatre.
Plot and characters
The play centres on Germaine Lauzon, who has won a large quantity of trading stamps and invites relatives and neighbours to help paste them into booklets. As the evening unfolds, jealousy, resentment, and competition emerge among the women.
Language and cultural significance
The play is noted for using joual on a professional stage, which helped redefine expectations for Quebec drama. Its representation of working-class women and domestic life was also seen as unusually direct for its time.
Themes
Commonly identified themes include class struggle, consumer desire, women’s labour, social constraint, and the isolation of working-class women. The play is also often read as a critique of the conditions facing women in 1960s Quebec.
Key facts
- The play was Michel Tremblay’s first major professionally produced work.
- It is considered a breakthrough because it put joual, the vernacular of working-class Quebecers, on stage.
- The story follows 15 women gathered at Germaine Lauzon’s home to help paste trading stamps into booklets.
- Its themes include class, women’s oppression, envy, and social alienation.
- The work has been translated into more than 30 languages and staged internationally.
It is a foundational work of Quebec and Canadian theatre, and a major example of Canadian French literary culture. For Canadian readers, it is especially significant for its use of joual and its influence on modern theatre in Quebec and across Canada.[1][9]
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Les Belles-Sœurs?
When did Les Belles-Sœurs premiere?
What is Les Belles-Sœurs about?
Why is the play important?
What language is the play written in?
Has it been adapted?
References
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/les-belles-soeursSupports: Major significance, joual on stage, plot, premiere date and location, feminist and social themes
- GradeSaver — https://www.gradesaver.com/les-belles-soeursSupports: Written in 1965, first performed in 1968, plot overview and direction credit
- SuperSummary — https://www.supersummary.com/les-belles-soeurs/summary/Supports: First major play, premiere context, joual, working-class women, later adaptations
- eNotes — https://www.enotes.com/topics/michel-tremblay/questions/themes-main-ideas-characters-and-message-in-les-3131011Supports: Themes, main idea, main character, and social critique