MTL Fringe Festival: Saint-Joseph

Short and sweet as it was, Saint-Joseph spoke miles about the things that cannot be seen or heard, but can still be sensed. Before the play began, Max Laferriere’s character was sloppily seated on his sofa, drinking his beer and snacking on his chips. His wife, played by Caroline Fournier, entered the set a few minutes before the play began. Without having said a word, the tension between the couple was palpable. Enters third character, Butch, played by Alessandro Izzi, who is blind. The underlying tension, caused by the husbands jealousy over his wife’s apparent joy in the presence of Butch, combined with the already present marital issues between the couple, added depth and meaning to this play.  Although it seemed Laferriere’s character underestimated  Butch’s ability to “see” his wife’s beauty, Butch was able to shed some light in the life of cynical Laferriere, truly showing that what can’t be seen can still be felt, just as what can’t be heard can be sensed. Despite the fact that this play covered some serious and emotional topics,  the edgy yet funny dialogue between the characters really made this play well balanced and lighter when needed. I was a little shocked by how short it was (despite knowing the length of play beforehand) but I thought that it made the ending even more surprising and delightful. Great play overall!