Staging the/an Other: The Dragons' Trilogy Take II

Recent studies on the work of Robert Lepage underline the centrality of confrontation with the Other in the theatre of this internationally known and acclaimed Quebec dramaturge, cineaste, actor and producer. Characterized by the contact, collision and mixing of languages, Lepage's theatre challenges audiences around the world forcing them to experience the between zone, that liminal space between, or outside, comfortable linguistic, cultural and geographical boundaries in which the Other is frequently no longer easily identifiable. From early productions such as Circulations in the 1980s to his most recent production, The Andersen Project, staging the Other has been a central preoccupation of the Lepage project. However, as the recent remake of The Dragons' Trilogy suggests, perceptions of the Other may change over time as the Other's place in society evolves. This article provides an overview of Lepage's theatre with emphasis on the importance of language in the representation of the Other and focuses particularly on The Dragons' Trilogy. It suggests that what was intended, and indeed perceived, to be a sympathetic, albeit stereotyped, portrayal of the immigrant in Canada and Quebec in the 1980s appears as a misstep in a new millennium and in a new Quebec in which immigrants, including immigrant writers, have found their own voice.