Le petit théâtre

Le petit théâtre

Upon her arrival in Baie-Comeau in 1937, Alice Lane found that cultural life was rudimentary. She opened a bilingual library, organized performances, and encouraged the formation of an amateur theater troupe. Thus, the following year, Le Petit Théâtre de Baie-Comeau was born under the leadership of André G. Sabourin and J.A. Marier, with the aim of providing wholesome entertainment to the population while supporting charitable causes.

In its early days, the troupe performed at the Arcade Theatre, then moved to the basement of Ste-Amélie Church. In 1941, Rodolphe Lajoie, the architect who designed most of the houses in Baie-Comeau, became its artistic director. One of the troupe’s leading figures, Thérèse Fortin Allaire, worked with Alice Lane, as did the last director of the Petit Théâtre, Dorila Verette-Baron.

The troupe was active from 1939 to 1965. It toured several times. In 1943, it visited Matane, Mont-Joli, and Rimouski, where it returned the following year to perform Mon bébé. It retired after presenting to CHLC listeners a play written for the Baie-Comeau-Hauterive Junior Chamber of Commerce radio day.

In 1944, the Petit Théâtre even participated in the war effort. It presented a play to benefit the Red Cross, the proceeds of which, a sum of $143.16, were used to purchase and send maple sugar to Canadian soldiers overseas. In today’s dollars, this would represent a sum of $2,519.12.

Overview of the Petit Théâtre’s productions

• Les terreurs de l’oncle Berluron (20 avril 1939)
• Un duel à l’étouffée (20 avril 1939)
• La marraine de Charly (6 avril 1941)
• Consultations gratuites (12 avril 1941)
• L’anglais tel qu’on le parle (12 avril 1941)
• La leçon de chant (opérette) (12 avril 1941)
• Durand & Durand (28 avril 1941)
• Le chapeau de paille (15 décembre 1942)
• Soirée surprises (Les suites d’un premier lit; Dieu protège le roi) (23 mars 1943)
• Mon bébé (10 avril 1944)
• Oh Kay (sous la direction de Mme J. Haravey Wilson) (juillet 1944)
• Bousille et les justes (Gratien Gélinas) (1961)
• Sonnez les matines (Félix Leclerc) (Mise en scène Dorila Baron) (14 et 15 avril 1962)
• Tribulations nocturnes (1965)

Author : Raphaël Hovington

Sources : 

• Cahier de J. Alfred Duchesneau et Roger Côté (contenant des correspondances, notes, programmes et photographies du Petit Théâtre)
• Christina Carrier, L’église Sainte-Amélie de Baie-Comeau, septembre 2004
• Biographie de Thérèse Fortin Allaire, Raphaël Hovington, 31 mai 2023