Centre Acadien, Université Sainte-Anne

The Acadian theatre troupe “Araignées du boui-boui” - The troupe was founded by Jean-Douglas Comeau at Université Sainte-Anne in 1971, and then directed by Normand Godin from 1973 onwards.

In 1982, the company was incorporated as a non-profit organization. While financially independent from the Université Sainte-Anne, it nonetheless maintains a fruitful collaboration with the institution.

Its mandate is to produce French-language theater and thus contribute to Acadian cultural development, especially in the province’s Acadian schools. Moreover, the troupe endeavours to train actors and performing artists, drawn from the University and surrounding community. As of 1986, plays were written or adapted into the Clare’s French Acadian language, with the aim of enhancing and spreading this extraordinary 16th- and 17th-century French heritage of the 16th and 17th.

Thirty-five major plays were staged, including the musical drama Évangéline, presented for eleven summer seasons, and La Fondation de l'Acadie (“The Foundation of Acadia”), a dinner theatre. Several plays were part of international festivals, in Nova Scotia, in Canada and overseas, including Panique à Longueil (“Panic in Longueuil”), Joko fête son anniversaire (“Joko Celebrates his Birthday”), and Tristan et Iseult.

The troupe’s archives are held by Normand Godin, archivist. A Research Tools Booklet facilitates access to this collection (MG 43) at Université Sainte-Anne’s Centre acadien . It contains the history of the "Araignées du boui-boui" troupe, its minutes and everything related to the plays (programs, manuscripts, criticism, festivals, awards, photos, videos, etc.) Please note: The archival films of the plays will be digitized by the end of 2018, and made available. The collection also contains the musical CD and film of the outdoor version of the Evangeline, a musical drama. This photo (© John B. Gillis) shows a scene from René-Daniel Dubois's play Panique à Longueuil, staged at the Monaco World Festival in 1993. (Sets by Norman Godin, Araignées du boui-boui, Jean Mathieu and Raymond Gaudet, actors).

Topic: Arts and Culture

Date: 1993

Reference: Collection Araignées du boui-boui Centre Acadien 

For more information, visit the Centre Acadien website.