CANMORE – Finding love is only 5,000 kilometres away.
A year after the death of his wife, Georges Boivin and three friends embark on a cross-country journey from Quebec to Vancouver in search of his first love who he hasn’t seen in 50 years, in the live theatre production of The Ballad of Georges Boivin.
In fitting fashion, the show hits the road and travels to Canmore from Calgary starting Wednesday to Saturday (May 8-11) at the Miners’ Union Hall. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s an older character and he’s dealing with grief and loss, but it’s also about seeing what is still possible later in life,” said director Bronwyn Steinberg.
“We all have those sort of crossroads moments of what am I and what do I do now that this big thing changed, so I think it’s a play that everyone can really relate to, but all that sounds kind of heavy and it’s really not.”
Described as more of a road trip buddy comedy, the play has one distinct punch line – every role is played by actor Duval Lang.
“Through the magic of theatre, he plays, I think, around 10 or 11 characters,” said Steinberg. “It’s the four friends that are driving across the country and then everyone they meet along the way.”
Duval goes through vocal shifts, like putting on a thicker accent for some of the characters and physical posture changes and gestures.
“But it’s very clear as you watch it,” said Steinberg.
Additionally, the sound and lighting aid in transforming the stage into a busy highway, with car horns, music and pit stops along the way.
Running for about an hour, the director added that Lang, who’s been acting for more than 40 years and has appeared in films like Brokeback Mountain, commands the stage for every second of it.
“I feel like it’s really captivating and it kind of almost surprises you,” said Steinberg. “It’s really like a delightful journey and so fun to see these different characters and it’s a nice kind of feeling of Quebecois culture, which we don’t get a lot of in English, Canadian theatre, and it’s beautifully translated.”
The play was written by Montreal playwright Martin Bellemare in 2009 and translated into English in 2021.
Bow Valley-based Pine Tree Players is co-presenting The Ballad of Georges Boivin with professional theatre group Lunchbox Theatre, based out of Calgary. It’s a new collaboration between the production companies that has the potential to continue moving forward.
“The more quality theatre we can bring to the Bow Valley, the better,” said Pine Trees Players’ president Jen Tweddell. “Also, having a professional theatre company come here and work with our volunteers and crew members, who are helping set up other productions … there’s a lot of learning opportunities for us.”
Tickets are pay-what-you-can for Wednesday’s show in Canmore. From Thursday to Saturday, admission is $30 per person. On Friday’s show, headsets will be available that will have live audio descriptions of the play for audience members who are blind or visually impaired.
