25 avril 2012

TLMEP Interview with Christian Bégin - April 22

Christian Bégin is a busy man – acting in a new play for Juste pour rire this summer, writing a new play now being performed, starting on TV and raising a teenager. Is there anything he can’t do?
Prénom, adapted for Quebec, from the French play of the same name will show in the summer during just for laughs. It’s a 5-character diddy that takes place at a dinner party in one evening. Should be interesting.
His third play, just finished and now showing, explores sadness and isolation and questions why we are so alone. CB thinks there’s a glorification of the ME and that our participation in so many virtual worlds is making it worse. Relief and salvation will come only when we sincerely believe others are as important as we are. (It is here that I begin to understand that CB has some interesting insight to offer. Yup, I had prejudice walking in to this interview) If only our governments could take the lead on this, we’d be doing so much better.
His critically acclaimed TV series (aired on Tele-Quebec) Bar Ouvert was cancelled and CB is sad at this even though his mother was quite pleased. The show was weird and pushed the boundaries of taste and may have even been disconcerting at times but it was still magical in its creativity.
CB recounts an amusing anecdote involving getting two denver boots in two weeks because of address changes not being done in one office vs. another. His fines would be sent to an old address and yet they found his car. Twice.
Speaking about his part – David Roche – in the prime time drama series Trauma, he’s asked how close to reality the portrayal is. Well, this is fiction, so there must be exaggeration for effect.
Talking about his teenaged son Théophile, he’s worried; worried that his son is about to live his first true heartbreak as a member of CLASSE. He doesn’t believe the students will win this battle. Although Théo will suffer heartbreak, CB thinks this will have good positive consequences for his son’s character. CB thinks he understands why (at the time of the recording of the show) CLASSE had not officially condoned the violence and that is because he thinks the government wants to undermine the students as much as possible and possibly discredit the movement altogether (take a moment, it’s not that far-fetched a notion). Asked if he believes this is the Printemps Quebecois, he’s not so sure. Maybe in a dozen years we’ll think back to 2012 and see it a turning point… as a final thought CB offers this beautiful insight: (…, paraphrasing a little) we need to denounce things. Change only comes from opportunity or revelation; not through individual thought.
Why this matters: CB is a well-known character actor and entertainer. Like all guests of his profession before him, this is the simple continuation of growing our arts culture. At least this guy’s quirkily interesting and talented. Check out his rant from TLMEP in 2010.

4 commentaires:

  1. Thanks for going to all this trouble with the blog! Looking forward to your overviews for tonight''s show.

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    Réponses
    1. @angelica: A summary of all of tonight's guests is online here.
      http://finilessolitudes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/tlmep-summary-of-april-29.html

      We'll be working hard to get you in-depth articles on the most interesting guests in the coming days. Stay tuned!

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  2. Awesome idea for a blog, much appreciated!

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  3. The credit for this article goes to @heydomajor. He, @lup_sylvie and I are happy to record and share the Tout le monde en parle experience with you.

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