''Lilies or the Revival of a Romantic Drama '' () is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written by

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

Michel Marc Bouchard Michel Marc Bouchard, (born February 2, 1958) is a Canadian playwright. He has received the Prix Journal de Montreal, Prix du Cercle des critiques de l'Outaouais, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian ...

, which premiered in 1987.

Plot

The play concerns the confession of an aging prisoner to a bishop. Through the confession, and the staged scenes acted out by the male prisoners in the prison chapel, we learn that the bishop and the prisoner were part of a gay

love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...

, and that the bishop was responsible for the death of a young man many years ago.

Adaptations

The play's English translation by

Linda Gaboriau Linda Gaboriau ( Johnson)"Decoding the message a translator's challenge". ''The Globe and Mail'', January 26, 1991. is a Canadian dramaturg and literary translator who has translated some 125 plays and novels by Quebec writers, including many of ...

was published in 1990 by

Playwrights Canada Press Playwrights Canada Press is a Canadian publishing house founded in 1984 by the Playwrights Guild of Canada. It was incorporated in 2000 as an independent company. Notable books *''The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God'', Djanet Sears ( ...

and staged by Théâtre Passe-Muraille in 1991, winning Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding New Play and for Outstanding Production. The play was also made into the 1996 film ''

Lilies ''Lilium'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are ...

'', which was directed by

John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and Activism, political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely affiliated group of filmmakers to ...

. The play was later adapted as a French-language opera, ''Les Feluettes'', with music by Kevin March and libretto by Bouchard. Co-commissioned by

Opéra de Montréal LOpéra de Montréal () is an opera company in Montreal, Canada. It performs at the Place des Arts theatre complex in downtown Montreal, in the borough of Ville-Marie. It was founded in 1980 as a company focused on productions in French. Hi ...

and

Pacific Opera Victoria Pacific Opera Victoria is a professional Canadian opera company in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia. It designs, builds, and stages original opera productions at the Royal Theatre (Victoria, British Columbia), Royal Theatre wit ...

, ''Les Feluettes'' premiered in Montreal in May 2016. The opera was staged in Victoria in April 2017 and at

Edmonton Opera Edmonton Opera is a professional Canadian opera company in Edmonton, Alberta. In the past they regularly performed at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, but in recent years have been branching out and performing at a variety of stages through ...

in October 2017.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Les Feluettes'' (Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia)
Canadian LGBTQ-related plays 1987 plays Quebec plays Plays set in Quebec French-language plays Dora Mavor Moore Award–winning plays Canadian plays adapted into films Plays adapted into operas