According to Kisses Deep director Eda Holmes (and Centaur Artistic Director), in the press release, the English-language premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard’s Embrasse pulses with passion, humour, and love. The production premiered in French in 2021 at Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in co-production with the Centaur. Holmes says she is thrilled to finally bring Kisses Deep to life in English.
Set in rural Montréal, at the heart of Kisses Deep is Hugo Lessard (Kevin Raymond), a young man whose passion for high fashion consumes him. Hugo dreams of attending a renowned fashion school in Montréal and being inspired by his idol, Yves Saint Laurent (a subdued and believable performance by Yves Jacques). With this creative passion for Saint Laurent and fashion, Hugo puts all his obsessive artistic energy into one goal: to restore his mother Béatrice Lessard’s (Leni Parker) tarnished reputation, after her arrest for assaulting schoolteacher Maryse Gauthier (Amélia Sargisson). To clear her name, Hugo aims to design the perfect outfit for her upcoming court appearance.
Why is the title significant?
Because Hugo longs for intimate connections with others, he kisses them. While this act must be handled appropriately on one level, Hugo’s kisses evoke an emotional response in both the giver and receiver. Is the kiss an expression of artistic creation between two people? Is there something more? Is Hugo hiding something about himself through the act of kissing? How do those on the receiving end respond to Hugo’s actions?
While the world still remembers #metoo with a shudder, Kisses Deep also uncovers a similar, deep-seated, and complicated pain between Hugo, his mother, and his unseen father, amid some welcome comedic moments which allow a bit of laughter.
Michel Marc Bouchard writes a play of intense personal connection that becomes a vital life force shared among people. Kisses Deep remains breathtaking to watch, hear, and see. There are moments when the play might be slightly uncomfortable due to its ‘plus intime’ connections. Still, Holmes stages the production with stylistic grace and finesse. She creates an extraordinary visual and auditory experience that will resonate long after the curtain call.
Music and Sound’s Alexander MacSween and Michael Gianfrancesco’s sets craft an immersive fashion experience through fabric, colour, and texture in the studio where Beatrice and Hugo design their creations. Geometric shapes keep the eyes moving, thanks to Thomas Payette’s video designs. Fabric shears become key to the story. With Étienne Boucher’s transformative lighting and Sébastien Dionne’s distinctive costume designs, Kisses Deep becomes a metaphor for the connection between artistic creation and healing from a traumatic past.
The English-language cast delivers cleverly crafted stage performances with deep emotion and intriguing subtlety.
At this performance, Amélia Sargisson steps in for an ill Alice Pascual. High praise to Sargisson for her three rehearsals before taking the stage. A prompter remains on standby in the audience in case she needs the dialogue, but from what I could see, Amélia remains confidently off book. Her Maryse is tentative and, rightly, cautious in speaking with Hugo, because Gauthier remembers what happened between her and Béatrice. Sargisson’s final moments are moving. As the bowling-loving Sergeant Régis, Lyndz Dantiste provides some needed humour in an exchange as he moves back and forth between two characters (revealing who they are could destroy plot interest). The brief, intimate moment between Dantiste and Raymond is respectfully handled.
As mother and son, Leni Parker and Kevin Raymond deliver haunting performances of a tumultuous relationship that initially seems quixotic. Nonetheless, Parker and Raymond remain true to their distinct characters. There is a respectful intimacy rooted in love between mother and son, but all the while, one cannot help but wonder whether a boundary has been crossed. It’s unsettling to think that it has. While Parker and Raymond initially convey genuine likability, it becomes clear that mother and son have damaged each other through their actions and concealment of their true selves.
Redemption is achievable, and that’s the message I believe both playwright Bouchard, director Holmes, and this terrific cast want the audience to remember.
Everything always comes at a cost, no matter the outcome.
Good drama and good theatre.
That’s precisely what this Kisses Deep becomes.
Running time: approximately ninety minutes with no intermission.
Kisses Deep, the English-language premiere, runs until December 14 at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre, 453 rue St. François-Xavier in the Old Port. For tickets: centaurtheatre.com or call (514) 288-3161.
CENTAUR THEATRE presents the English language premiere
Kisses Deep by Michel Marc Bouchard
Translated by Linda Gaboriau
Directed by Eda Holmes
Set Design: Michael Gianfrancesco
Costume Design: Sébastien Dionne
Lighting Design: Étienne Boucher
Music and Sound Design: Alexander MacSween
Video Design: Thomas Payette
Stage Manager: Melanie St-Jacques
Performers: Lyndz Dantiste, Yves Jacques, Leni Parker, Amélia Sargisson (filling in for an ill Alice Pascual) and Kevin Raymond.
