About the Play:

Finalist for the 2000 Governor General's Literary Award for Translation

Down Dangerous Passes Road (English-language version of Le chemin des Passes-Dangereuses) is full-length drama by Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Linda Gaboriau. Three brothers crash their truck on a gravel road. It is the first time they have been together, alone, in years. Their past, a maelstrom, provokes intense emotions as they try to reacquaint themselves and start on their journey to redemption.

Down Dangerous Passes Road is a story of three brothers at odds with communication and the past that won't let them go. It is Carl's wedding day. Victor, the eldest of the family, convinces both Carl and his other brother, Ambrose, to come and see his fishing camp. Fifteen years to the day after the death of their father, three brothers get together and drive out to the place where the spot where his "accident," to which they were all witness, took place: an old fishing spot on the river down Dangerous Passes Road. The thing is, they have had an accident of their own along the way. They have not spoken in three years; they all have their secrets to hide. As they wait by the wreck of their truck at the side of the road, their voices weave, and their relationships, their secrets, are revealed and laid bare. Challenging, sharp, poetic Down Dangerous Passes Road is Michel Marc Bouchard at his best.

Le Chemin des Passes-Dangereuses premiered in 1999 at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe in Montréal. Since then, it's had scores of productions worldwide. The English-language premiere of Down Dangerous Passes Road was in 2008 produced by Talisman Theatre at La Chapelle Theatre in Montréal and won the ACQT prize in the category 'Théâtre anglophone.'

Cast: 3 male

What people say:

"Pure music…how often has theatre truly thrilled you? How often has a performance expanded your capacity to perceive? Down Dangerous Passes Road did both." — Georgia Straight (Vancouver)

"A spine-tingling, penetrating evening." — Westender (Vancouver)

"Bouchard's script is a complex work that weaves memory and truth into pure poetry. He exploits the power of repetition and perhaps, most importantly, has an interesting story to tell." — Fast Forward (Calgary)

"For the sharpness and virtuosity of the dialogue, for its poetic urgency, for the dazzling, masterful use of refrains and above all, for its powerful metaphorical resonance, this play can be counted among the best of our national repertoire." — Le Soleil (Québec City)

"The 'product' that Michel Marc Bouchard has delivered can be qualified as a work of art, on every level." — La Presse (Montréal)

About the Playwright:

Michel Marc Bouchard is one of Québec's most prominent playwrights. He has written more than 20 plays, six of which have been adapted for film. His works, translated into many languages, are regularly performed around the world. He has received numerous grants and garnered many awards including the Dora Mavor Moore Award and Chalmers Award (Toronto), National Arts Centre Award, Betty Mitchell Award (Calgary), Prix du Journal de Montréal, Primo Candoni (Italy), SACD (France) and awards from critics' associations in several countries. He received four nominations for the Governor General's Award for literature (Canadian equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize).