La corriveau - la soif des corbeaux

La Corriveau - la soif des corbeaux, an original musical theatre production that brings to life and re-establishes the facts of one of Quebec's most fascinating legends, has won over audiences and critics alike since its first performance in summer 2022! In the course of an investigation and a trial with a thousand twists and turns, the many discrepancies and distortions in the tragic story of La Corriveau will be brought to life. This is a story with a broad back... It carries in its wake women by the thousands, women murdered, women singled out for having spoken out, for having dared, for having sung too loudly, for having howled at the moon and danced in the light... The witches of yesterday gave birth to all those who are still burning today. The only thing that has changed is the way they die.

THE STORY

The conviction of Marie-Josephte Corriveau by a British court martial in 1763, after a trial in a language the accused did not understand, was intended to impose order and submission on the conquered people, to serve as an example. The display of La Corriveau's corpse in a cage only served to accentuate the horror of the tragic fate of this young mother who, just before her death, confessed to having killed her second husband. Today, we can deduce that Marie-Josephte was most likely a victim of domestic violence, who desperately wanted to put an end to her suffering to protect her children. Nearly 260 years later, it's easy to draw parallels with several cases of assault on women recently reported in the news in Quebec, where the assailant was completely exonerated and the victims lynched in the public square. We asked ourselves: "And if Marie-Josephte Corriveau were on trial today, how would she be treated? What would her sentence be? How did this young mother of thirty turn into a hideous old witch who killed seven husbands and whose spirit still returns from the dead to torment men? Her story has been distorted by word of mouth over the years. This time, the story is told through the mouths of those who have not spoken enough. An ancient story that reflects some of the workings of the present day.

Texts and lyrics

Geneviève Beaudet and Félix Léveillé

Composer

Audrey Thériault

Stage direction

Jade Bruneau

Cast

Renaud Paradis, Hélène Major, José Dufour, Frédérique Mousseau, Karine Lagueux, Simon Labelle-Ouimet, Jade Bruneau and Simon Fréchette-Daoust

Musical direction and arrangements

Marc-André Perron

Produced by

Théâtre de l'Œil Ouvert in partnership with Groupe Entourage

This show is presented with the support of Voyagements - Théâtre de création en tournée

"La Corriveau - La soif des corbeaux takes us on an ingenious and heartfelt journey through a captivating story rooted in the depths of our land. The eight performers, with their solid acting and singing, are a joy to behold. - Stéphanie Morin, La Presse