You Will Remember Me
Description
Memory, personal, familial, and societal - is the central theme of this new play by Governor General's Award-winning playwright François Archambault. Translated by Bobby Theodore, this work follows a family's struggle with dementia. Edouard is a University professor and historian, a figure prominent in the public eye and a long-time sovereignist. He has been proud throughout his life of his prodigious memory. As memory fails, Edouard tests the ability of family members to care for him. The play also examines collective memory and the current state of affairs in Quebec. Edouard has been appearing on talk shows since his retirement, railing against the dumbing down of society and the adverse effects of technology. Archambault uses personal memory as a foil and metaphor to explore social memory, particularly reexamining moments from the history of the Parti Québécois. Subtle, moving, and funny, You Will Remember Me shows that living completely in the present moment is a nightmare. Harkening to the past, and memory are essential for the human condition.
You will Remember Me opened in French in 2014 and was produced in English at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.
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Persons
François Archambault graduated from the playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada in 1993 and has also completed a major in French Studies at the Université de Montréal. Between 1989 and 1998, he wrote twelve plays and his work appeared in seven anthologies. His 1992 play Le jour de la fête de Martin was among the thirteen finalists selected in the Concours Val'en Scène in Valenciennes, France, and received a special mention from the jury.
Archambault secured his reputation as a sharp social satirist with his earlier plays Cul sec (Fast Lane) and Les gagnants (The Winners). He further established his importance on the Québec theatre scene with the award-winning 15 Seconds, a darkly humorous play about social alienation arising from superficial relationships.
His most recent works include You Will Remember Me and The Leisure Society.