Saint-Laurent enters the stage

The residents of Saint-Laurent will have a chance to watch history come to life on the stage of the Centaur Theatre later this month. Pascale Rafie’s The Baklawa Recipe will offer a voyage through time as it follows two young Lebanese women as they arrive from their homeland to start a new life in 1967 Ville Saint-Laurent.

Starting in the days when Steinberg’s and Miracle Mart were the places to shop and the Cultural Revolution was in full swing, the play explores 50 years in the lives of the characters Rita and Nadia.

« I am under the impression that Ville Saint-Laurent is or was considered’ little’ Lebanon, » explains Natalie Tannous, one of the lead actors. « That country’s immigrants came and many still live there today, » she says.

Her sister Christina Tannous, who plays Nadia, believes the setting is vital to the story.

« The community’s churches, specialty food stores, Poirier and Barré streets where the characters live, all these places still exist. I think the older generations will remember the 10% discount for seniors at Morgan’s, the duplexes, the landmarks, » she says.

The play showcases the welcoming nature of Ville Saint-Laurent to new immigrants and how that tradition has remained strong into the modern day.

A long road

Having travelled throughout Quebec on a reading tour, the story has been well received with its universal and relatable themes.

« It is the tale of two different women caught up in a time and era of change. The traditionalist Rita, who wants to honor the old ways and my character Nadia, who wants to break the mold and sing, only to have her wings clipped early by community expectations, » explains Christina Tannous.

The play was written by National Theatre School graduate Pascale Rafie, who was inspired by two actresses she met in the school. They reminded her of the aunt that the play is loosely based on. An evening of baking Baklawa together in 2011 was the starting point of this story that grew into a study of immigration and the struggles women undergo balancing the old world and the new.

It was chosen to have an English version produced and in a twist, the play was translated by author Rafie’s sister, Melissa Bull. The run at the Centaur will be the first time the play will be performed on stage.

The opening night performance of The Baklawa Recipe will be on Friday, January 26 at 8 p.m.

Performances run from January 23 to February 18 at the Centaur Theatre (453 St. François-Xavier, Montreal).