Théâtre la Seizième presents a staged reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, February 21 and 22
Sébastien David directs Michel Tremblay’s tragic play as part of the ÉCHO(S) series
Michel Tremblay. Photo by Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf
Théâtre la Seizième presents À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou at Studio 16 on February 21 and 22 at 7:30 pm, as part of the ÉCHO(S) staged reading series
RENOWNED QUÉBÉCOIS PLAYWRIGHT and novelist Michel Tremblay has been publishing works to critical acclaim since the 1960s.
Among his more prominent œuvres is 1971’s À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, which tells the grim story of one family’s history from four different perspectives. Léopold and Marie-Lou were in a tumultuous marriage that ended in their tragic deaths following a verbal dispute. Ten years later, their daughter Carmen has moved on, while their other daughter Manon still lives under their roof, consumed by what happened. Unspoken truths and the burden of religion come into play when Carmen returns home and the sisters must confront their difficult past.
In honour of Théâtre la Seizième’s 50th anniversary, the company is presenting a staged reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou at Studio 16 on February 21 and 22. It is the third installment of this season’s ÉCHO(S) series, which highlights five key works that Théâtre la Seizième has produced since it was founded in 1974.
Another Québécois playwright, Sébastien David, is directing this reading, which features a cast of four actors: Jessica Heafey, Steve Jodoin, Samantha Levy, and Gabrielle Morin. David’s Dimanche napalm won a Governor General’s Award in 2017, and his latest play Une fin premiered this month at Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui in Montreal.
The reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou will be in French with English surtitles. It will feature live music by Steven Charles and technical direction and lighting by Chengyan Boon. ![]()
Stir editorial assistant Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.
Related Articles
In this left-field comedy, the obsessive lead character is driven by the same perfectionism that her creator has learned to leave aside in life
Based on Adrian Glynn McMorran’s album of the same name, the show at the Arts Club’s BMO Theatre Centre is more than just a concert
Sharp dialogue and restless energy, prodded on by the little irritations of married life, result in cozy yet unsettling laughs
Ahead of his Anvil Theatre show, the long-time cruise-line performer talks about dispelling childhood fears with lovable characters
In DanceHouse and The Cultch co-presentation, the Hungarian company is full of flowing bodies and rippling fabric
Sanaz Toossi’s play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2023 for its look at four students preparing for the TOEFL
Latinx theatre artist’s debut script unfolds across three worlds: Toronto, Antigua Guatemala, and a realm in which the immigration system functions like a game show
Adrian Glynn McMorran’s moving theatre-concert pays tribute to his Ukraine-born grandparents, complete with a choir and traditional instruments
Offerings range from storytelling event The Family Flame to dance parties, documentary screenings, drag performances, and more
The starkly moving show by the Czech Republic’s Archa Centre of Documentary Theatre recounts true stories of lives upended by the conflict
Production by Tracey Power transports audiences back to the time of coffeehouse open mics that nurtured musicians like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
Théâtre Gauche production probes into linguistic insecurities and the stigma of being a “bad francophone”
Romantic comedy set in 1960s New York City follows newlyweds navigating marriage, compromise, and the beautiful mess of learning how to live
Presented with the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Presentation House Theatre, Faly Mevamanana’s play centres on a cultural obsession with competition
Skilled Canadian ventriloquist has competed on America’s Got Talent and headlined with Disney Cruise Line for more than two decades
Ruby Slippers Theatre presentation features new works by Irene (Fan) Yi, Abi Padilla, Marcia Johnson, Alexandra Lainfiesta, and Sewit Eden Haile
Amir Hosseini directs the Blackout Art Society production about four Iranian adults preparing for an English proficiency exam
Playwright Mieko Ouchi’s story of one woman’s self-discovery in the Nevada Desert is rooted in her mother’s true story
Provocatively reimagined endings to opera and Shakespeare were among the random scenes that stuck with us from the year onstage
Whether you’re into show tunes or funk, improv comedy or acrobatics, you’re sure to find your own way of welcoming 2026 with the help of Vancouver’s arts companies and venues
James & Jamesy’s family-friendly show sails through a series of slapstick and sometimes surreal journeys
