Zone (play)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Zone'' is a French-language three-act play written by
French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...
author Marcel Dubé. Written when Dubé was 21 and based on memories of his childhood, ''Zone'' revolves around a gang of teenaged Québécois criminals who sell contraband cigarettes, and the internal conflicts that ultimately tear the group apart.


Cast

The original production of ''Zone'' was directed by Robert Rivard and first released on January 23, 1953. *
Monique Miller Monique Miller, (born 9 December 1933) is a French Canadian actress. She is known for her live theatre performances, and also performs in films and on television. She is the sister of actress Louise Remy. Career In 1951 Miller performed in th ...
as Ciboulette (chives) * as Tarzan * as Passe-Partout (master key) *
Raymond Lévesque Raymond Lévesque (October 7, 1928 – February 15, 2021) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet from Quebec. One of the pioneers of the ''chansonnier'' tradition in Quebec, he was best known for writing " Quand les hommes vivront d'amour", on ...
as Moineau (sparrow) * as Tit-Noir * Marcel Dubé as Johny *
Jean Duceppe Jean Hotte-Duceppe (1923–1990) was a stage and television actor from Montreal, Quebec. Born on 25 October 1923 to a family of local shopkeepers in working-class Montreal, Jean Duceppe came to the theatre with no formal training and was compl ...
as Ledoux * Jean-Louis Paris as Police Chief * as Roger * as Andre (A)


Characters

* The Love Interest (Ciboulette): Unloved by her parents, Ciboulette is the youngest group member at 16 years of age, and the only female in the play. She is in love with Tarzan but does not reveal this to him until the end. Her character's naïve hope for a relationship with Tarzan paired with her lust embodies the "extreme idealism of youth". Ciboulette's character is tragically punished for standing up for love. * The Leader (Tarzan): The leader of the group of
contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...
ists. A 21-year-old boy who crosses the Canada–US border to retrieve cigarettes, and smuggles them into
Québec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
to be sold. He falls in love with Ciboulette, but recognizes that they cannot really be together. Tarzan is the "psychologically disturbed ictimof circumstance" whose façade of control disappears during his interrogation, where it is revealed that his real name is François Boudreau and that he is an orphan. Only in death does Tarzan realize that he is already condemned due to his birth into the proletariat class, and that he cannot escape his fate. * The Snake (Passe-Partout): The traitor who accidentally leads the authorities to the abandoned warehouse where their stash of cigarettes is hidden, and who betrays Tarzan by telling the police that Tarzan crossed the US-Canada border the day a border-control officer was killed. It is revealed during his interrogation that his real name is René Langlois, and that he joined the group to provide food for his mother, because his father is an alcoholic who spends his salary on drinking. He is in love with Ciboulette, which complicates his relationship with Tarzan, as Tarzan is also in love with her. * The Unimportant Guy (Tit-Noir): The group's accountant. It is revealed during his interrogation that his real name is Arsène Larue, and that he joined the group to obtain money for his future family and to study to become a priest. His nickname is "Tit-Noir" because when he was little, he had black hair, so his father called him "Petit-Noir", which eventually became "Tit-Noir". Tit-Noir serves a function similar to the messenger in
Greek tragedy Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Greek inhabited Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy. Greek tragedy is widely believed t ...
. * The 'Somewhat Slightly Less Intelligent' (Moineau): At the age of 20, he is the most artistic of the group. He often plays the
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
, and joined the group so that he could become a musician. His name comes from the French word for sparrow, a humorous way of calling him a featherbrain. His lack of intelligence is clearly shown several times throughout. * The Unseen Character (Johny): The least seen of the gang, with only two lines. He drives the truck to the border with Tarzan. It is unclear whether he is a member of the group, or just a
chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...
. * The Old, Experienced Policemen (Chief Policemen): Only seen during the second act, when he interrogates the group. He cleverly causes every member to reveal something they did not intend to. He has a son around the age of Tarzan, which makes it harder for him to send him to jail. * "The New Guy" Policemen (Ledoux): The detective that follows Passe-Partout to the hideout. * The Stereotypical Guard (Roger): A police officer who is present during the interrogations, and who kills Tarzan at the end of the play.


Summary

Tarzan assembles a group of teenagers who, under the stress of their familial or economic situations, agree to sell cigarettes smuggled into Canada from the United States. Ciboulette, the youngest of the group and the only female, is in love with Tarzan, but does not reveal this despite Tit-Noir's urging, as she is worried it will ruin the business. Tarzan risks capture by crossing the Canada–US border with contraband cigarettes. While the others wait for Tarzan to return, Passe-Partout attempts to supplant as the gang's leader, and disobeys Tarzan's instructions by stealing a wallet from a passerby, who is actually a detective, Ledoux. Tarzan returns to the hideout but Ledoux arrives at the gang's hideout and arrests the teenagers with a police brigade. The second act begins in the police station's interrogation room. Each member is questioned individually. During the interrogations, the police receive a call informing them that a border patrol guard was murdered earlier that day. The police chief interrogates Passe-Partout, who reveals that Tarzan had crossed the border that day. Under the impression that the other gang members have betrayed him, Tarzan confesses to the murder of the border guard. In the third act, the group talks about what they will do to Tarzan at the prison, and how they will execute him. Later on, it is seen on the news that Tarzan has escaped from prison. He goes straight to the "Hangar" where they keep the cigarettes. The police had cleaned it out, so there was no longer anything and it was empty. Tarzan and Ciboulette ask the others to give them a moment so they step out. Tarzan and Ciboulette confess their love for each other and share a few kisses. Tarzan gives money to Ciboulette so she can have a better chance in life while she is saying to keep it for himself because he is going to need it to escape and get a better life for himself. He stays with Ciboulette until the cops come to get him and when he is shot, Ciboulette whispers things to him and holds him close.


Inspiration

Dubé based ''Zone'' in part on a past experience illegally crossing the Canada–US border.


Analysis

''Zone'' takes place in a "squalid" environment, familiar territory for Dubé, whose works often dealt with the social disorder in French Canada at that time. The characters in ''Zone'', trapped within the poverty of their social milieu, resort to "adolescent ideals" in an attempt to escape. Laroche suggests that the teenaged gang members are play-acting as the characters they saw in films. Dubé's characters reveal their deepest thoughts and feelings in their dialogue, reflecting their underlying helplessness. The irony is that the gang, who began engaging in criminal activities to escape the societal "grey zone" they inhabit, are ultimately punished by the same society that offered them no support. Although the characters in ''Zone'' work in a collective, they tear each other apart through internal rivalries and betrayal, rendering them incapable of standing up to society, represented in ''Zone'' by the police who interrogate the gang. It also deals with the complicated romantic relationship between a 21-year-old man, Tarzan; and a 16-year-old girl, Ciboulette.


Reception

Edwin Hamblet criticized ''Zone'' for its "sudden and perfunctory" conclusion, finding that "Dubé tends to have trouble in ending his plays" and citing the artificiality of the plot twists. In 1953, ''Zone'' was awarded the Grand Prix for the best Canadian play at the
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
National Drama Festival. ''Zone'' also won the Calvert, Sir Barry Jackson and Louis Jouvet prizes.Laroche (1970), p. 9


References


External links


Hugo Therien (blog): Zone de Marcel Dubé
{{Tarzan Quebec plays