About the Play:
The Tale of Teeka (English-language version of L'Histoire de l'oie) is a play by Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Linda Gaboriau.
It is rural Québec in the 1950s. A battered child, Maurice, has taken refuge in a fantasy world. Alone on the farm one afternoon, he invites his pet goose, Teeka, into the house where his bedroom and the bathroom become the scene of some of Tarzan's most terrifying adventures.
His parent's unexpected return forces Maurice to commit a desperate and cruel act of violence.
The original production of L'Histoire de l'Oie, toured by Theatre des Deux Mondes in French, English, German and Spanish, represented Canada at numerous international festivals and garnered rave reviews and several prizes in Dublin, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Limoges, London, Mexico City, Munich, Toronto, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
Adapted for television by the playwright and directed by Tim Southam, L'Histoire de l'Oie / The Tale of Teeka was broadcast in French and English on the CBC / Radio Canada National Networks in the spring of 1999. The production won the Banff Television Festival Telefilm Canada Award for Best Canadian English-Language Production.
Cast: 1 man, 1 male child and 1 puppeteer handling 1 puppet.
What people say:
"…haunting, touching and at times comical… a poignant, unforgettable, journey." — New York Times
"The story… lifts this simple dialogue to the level of a perfectly disturbing work of art, and one which encompasses the sadness, sweetness and viciousness of life in a way instantly recognisable to anyone who has lived beyond babyhood." — Guardian (Glasgow, Scotland)
"After a full 10 seconds of complete stillness, the opening-night crowd burst into waves of ovation. It is the ultimate compliment to a play so achingly beautiful, restrained and moving that it clings to the heart and mind long after the last words are spoken." — Vancouver Sun
About the Playwright:
Michel Marc Bouchard is one of Québec's most prominent playwrights. Three of his plays have also been adapted for cinema. He has received numerous grants and awards including "Le Prix du Journal de Montréal", "Le Prix des critiques de l'Outaouais", the Dora Mavor Moore Award, the Chalmers Award for Outstanding New Play, and nine Jessie Richardson Awards.