Les Belles Soeurs

The play opens in Montreal in Germaine Lauzon’s kitchen. Her daughter, Linda, who is 20 years old, enters and expresses surprise to see four large boxes. Germaine informs her that the boxes contain the million stamps she won, describing the attractive young man who just showed up at the door with the crates. The stamps are promotional materials that stores use to reward and promote customer loyalty. Customers collect and then exchange the stamps for goods from a catalogue. Germaine is ecstatic, but Linda notes that it will take an eternity to glue all the little stamps into booklets so they can be used. Germaine tells her daughter that she has bought Coke and snacks to throw a party and that she has invited her sisters, her sister-in-law, and her neighbors to help. She asks pointedly whether Linda is available. Linda protests, reminding Germaine that Thursday is her usual date night with Robert. Germaine wheedles, complaining that she needs Linda because 15 people are planning to come. Appalled, Linda replies that 15 is far too many people to fit in the kitchen (the rest of the house is being painted) and calls her mother “dumb.”

Indignantly, Germaine gives Linda a guilt trip, calling her “stupid” for failing to see that Robert is a “moron” and a “lazy bum” who makes less than $60 per week. Linda retorts that Robert is due for a raise and will soon make $80 per week, but she agrees to stay and help. Linda suggests that Robert help as well, but Germaine, annoyed, replies, “Mother of God, I just told you I can’t stand him and you ask me if you can bring him home tonight. Where the hell are your brains?” (10). Germaine complains that all of her children are “idiots” and asserts that the party is for women only. Linda agrees impatiently and then calls Robert and leaves a message. The phone rings and Linda answers, passing the phone to Germaine. Germaine berates Linda for her phone etiquette, but Linda is unperturbed since it’s only her aunt, Rose, on the line. To Rose, Germaine brags about what she will buy with her stamps and how jealous her friends and neighbors will be when she redoes her entire house for free.

Germaine ends the call when Marie-Ange Brouillette enters. She’s early for the party and admits that she is envious. Magnanimously, Germaine agrees that winning is a big deal and suggests that Marie-Ange look through the catalogue while Germaine exits to the bedroom and finishes getting ready. To herself, Marie-Ange laments, “You won’t catch me winning something like that. I live in shit and that’s where I’ll be till the day I die” (14). She complains bitterly that Germaine is no more deserving than she is, as Marie-Ange works hard to care for her kids. Marie-Ange says that she is thin from working so hard, calling Germaine “fat as a pig” and expresses anger at having to live across the hall from Germaine and watch her get an entire new apartment (14).

As Marie-Ange speaks, Gabrielle Jodoin, Rose Ouimet, Yvette Longpré, and Lisette De Courval enter and position themselves in the kitchen, not reacting to Marie-Ange’s diatribe. Gabrielle and Rose are Germaine’s sisters. In unison, the five women exclaim, “This stupid, rotten life! Monday!” (15). Alternating between solo lines and speaking together like a Greek chorus, the women lament the drudgery of their lives as housewives. They describe the endless cycle of waking up early and doing the backbreaking labor of cooking, cleaning, and running errands while their husbands work (except for Marie-Ange, who announces that her husband is unemployed). Then their kids return to eat and make messes, their husbands come home, and the family fights before sitting in front of the television. The women intone, “I work. I slave. I kill myself for a pack of morons” (16).

The women sit down and resume speaking conversationally. Lisette mentions traveling to Europe, which she apparently brings up frequently. Des-Neiges Verrette enters, and the women greet her. Lisette adds that the stores in Europe don’t give out stamps. Marie-Ange expresses annoyance at the existence of contests such as the one in which Germaine won her stamps, saying that when one family wins, it’s annoying to their neighbors. Lisette is offended because Marie-Ange curses. The conversation becomes heated, and Rose stops the argument.

Gabrielle yells to Germaine, who calls back and starts to say that she needs help getting dressed. She asks if Linda is there, but Marie-Ange says that Linda left. Germaine responds, “Don’t tell me she’s snuck out, the little bitch” (18). Germaine tells the women to chat amongst themselves and wait for her before they start pasting stamps. The phone rings and Rose answers. She goes to the balcony and yells to Linda that she has a call. The women talk about Yvette’s daughter, Claudette, who recently married. Claudette’s husband won a trip to the Canary Islands, so they moved their wedding up and then honeymooned there. Lisette, who has been to the Canary Islands, tells the others that European people have poor hygiene and don’t wear underwear. The women begin complaining and laughing about their Italian neighbors, who, Lisette notes, never have underwear hanging on their clothesline. Lisette also informs Rose that she saw Rose’s son, Michel, kissing the Italian family’s daughter. Horrified, Rose calls the girl a “slut” and exclaims, “The little bastard! As if one pig in the family wasn’t enough. He’s just like his old man” (21).

Germaine enters grandly, and Rose mentions that they’re talking about Yvette’s daughter’s honeymoon. Germaine responds, “We weren’t invited to the wedding, you know, but we wish her well all the same” (23). After an awkward silence, Gabrielle realizes that it’s almost seven o’clock and therefore time for the rosary and novena to St-Thérèse on the radio. Rose wonders why Germaine is bothering with a novena after her stroke of luck. Rose and Gabrielle argue about which of them Germaine confides in and which of them talks too much. Lisette interjects that Rose just said the women shouldn’t “quarrel,” but Rose specifies that she had said “fight.” Germaine enters with the radio to quiet them down. When the broadcaster begins to say the rosary, all of the women kneel.

Suddenly, there is a clamor outside the apartment, and the women hurry to the door to see what’s happening. Germaine gasps that Olivine DuBuc, the mother-in-law of her husband’s sister (Thérèse DuBuc), just fell down three flights of stairs. Offstage, Thérèse is heard helping her mother-in-law back into her wheelchair, and Des-Neiges offers a hand. Rose insists that Germaine turn the radio off, and Germaine complains that she hasn’t finished her novena and is supposed to do it daily for nine weeks. Thérèse and Des-Neiges enter with Olivine, reassuring everyone that she isn’t badly hurt and often falls out of her chair. As Germaine greets Olivine, Thérèse warns that Olivine has started biting people just as Olivine attempts to bite Germaine. At Thérèse’s request, Germaine grudgingly turns off the radio. Thérèse describes her exhaustion from serving as a caretaker for her mother-in-law. Olivine had been in the hospital, but when Thérèse’s husband received a pay raise, welfare discontinued paying for her care. They had no choice but to take her in, and Thérèse feeds her, bathes her, and dresses her. Thérèse tells the women that she once left Olivine in the care of her oldest son so she could go to the store, but when she returned, her son was gone, and Olivine had poured molasses all over herself. Thérèse cleaned up the mess but spitefully left Olivine covered in molasses all afternoon. The women express sympathy and admiration for Thérèse’s sacrifice.

Germaine suggests that they start gluing stamps, which she brings saucers of water to moisten. As they start, Germaine goes onto the balcony and yells for Linda. An unseen neighbor responds, and Germaine, furious to learn that Linda is at the restaurant drinking a Coke, asks the neighbor to send Linda home. Back inside, Germaine complains about Linda leaving after promising to help. The women commiserate about the ingratitude of their children. Gabrielle talks about her son, Raymond, who has started college and become pretentious. Germaine fusses over the way the women paste the stamps, refusing to open a window for fear that some might blow away. Rose talks about her son, Bernard, whose wife has filled their house with birds. A spotlight focuses on Rose, and she complains that her daughter-in-law became attached to the birds that Bernard brought home and then to their babies. She lets the birds fly free and make a mess of the house every day before sending her kids to round the birds up, which they do loudly. Rose calls the kids “brats” and asserts, “Young people today, they don’t know how to bring up their kids!” (32). Rose talks about spanking her grandchildren for playing in the bathroom and making a mess; their mother was furious at Rose.

The women laugh, calling Rose “a riot,” and Rose explains, “Every story has a funny side, you know. Even the sad ones…” (33). Thérèse says that she’s lucky to see life that way, as Thérèse’s life is so hard that she has no time for herself. The others express sympathy and admiration. Germaine returns to talking about the booklets and stamps, mentioning that two other women, Rhéauna Bibeau and Angéline Sauvé, have also promised to join them. They’re currently at a funeral for the husband of Rhéauna’s friend’s daughter. Yvette realizes that the deceased is a man she once dated, musing that if life had gone differently, she might be a widow now.

Gabrielle comments that after six months of trying, she managed to find the eight mistakes in the newspaper and sent her answers in. Yvette asks if she won anything, and Gabrielle replies, “Do I look like someone who’s ever won anything?” (36). Thérèse asks Germaine how she plans to use her winnings, and Germaine says proudly that she is going to redecorate her house. The women are amazed, and Germaine asserts that contests like this are wonderful. Lisette comments that Marie-Ange said the opposite earlier. Marie-Ange demurs but then admits that she finds them unfair. Germaine accuses her of jealousy, stating that she despises jealous people. Marie-Ange announces that she’s leaving, and Germaine apologizes quickly. Rose says snidely that Germaine is “afraid of losing one of her workers” (37), and Gabrielle yells at her. Marie-Ange reluctantly agrees to stay, but as she goes back to work, she begins stealing each book that she fills. The other women notice this—aside from Germaine, who is oblivious—and start to do the same.

Lisette announces that she solved a puzzle in a different publication. Yvette asks if she won anything, but Lisette replies that she didn’t send her answer in, explaining, “I just did it for the challenge…Besides, do I look like I need such things?” (39). Rose admits to spending $2 per week on stamps to enter contests with crosswords and word puzzles. Again, Yvette asks if she’s ever won anything, and Rose responds, “Do I look like somebody who’s ever won anything?” (40). Thérèse gets frustrated with Olivine, who spills her saucer of water. She smacks Olivine on the head, explaining to the others that she’s used to it, and it’s the only way to make her stop misbehaving.

A spotlight focuses on Yvette. She gushes about her daughter’s expensive wedding cake, which had six levels, although only two were actually cake. Her daughter gave her the top tier, which was under a glass bell lid and had an elaborate bride and groom figurine. Yvette, worried that the cake would go stale, used a glass knife to cut a hole in the lid so air could circulate.

Des-Neiges continues the contest conversation, talking about a competition held by a bookstore. Yvette asks her if she won anything, and Des-Neiges replies, “Do I look like somebody who’s ever won anything?” (41). Germaine mentions that she has seen Rose cutting her lawn with scissors and suggests that she get a lawn mower. Rose argues that it’s good exercise, and she can’t afford one. Germaine states that she plans to buy a lawn mower with her stamps. Des-Neiges mutters that Germaine and her stamps are starting to irritate her, sneaking a booklet into her purse. Rose points out that Germaine lives on the third floor and doesn’t need a lawn mower. Germaine remarks that she’ll probably need a larger home and offers to let Rose borrow the lawn mower. Rose refuses, insisting that if she broke it, she’d never collect enough stamps to replace it. The women laugh, but Germaine is not amused.

Thérèse mentions a radio contest where she guessed the right answer. Yvette asks her if she won anything. Thérèse responds, “Do I look like someone who’s ever won anything?” (43). Gabrielle tells everyone that her husband plans to get her a synthetic fur coat for her birthday, asserting that the new ones are just as good as real fur. Lisette protests that nothing is as good as real fur, bragging that her husband plans to buy her a new coat in the fall. Rose calls Lisette a liar whose expensive tastes have buried her husband in debt; she insists that Lisette is as poor as all of them. Lisette offers to sell Rose her old mink stole. Yvette tells them all about her entry in a newspaper contest. In unison, the women say, “So…” (44), and Yvette sits back down.

Germaine brings up a neighbor’s young son, who fell off a second-floor balcony and amazingly suffered no injuries. Marie-Ange points out that he landed on another neighbor, who will be hospitalized for three months. Des-Neiges recalls a joke but doesn’t want to tell it because it’s too lurid. The women push her to tell it anyway, and the joke is about a nun who is raped: A reporter asks her for a statement about the traumatic incident, and the nun replies, “Again, please” (45). Everyone but Lisette, who is shocked, laughs.

Gabrielle tells the others that Des-Neiges learns these jokes from a traveling salesman who visits her every month. Des-Neiges insists that nothing inappropriate is happening between them, calling him “a very nice man” (47). Rose replies, “Yeah, but who’s to say you’re a nice lady?” and then asserts that she was only teasing (47). Des-Neiges is offended but invites the women to a product demonstration that the salesman has asked her to host so she can get a set of fancy cups. Rose agrees to go, wondering if there will be door prizes. Olivine attempts to bite Thérèse, and Thérèse threatens to lock her in the bathroom. In a spotlight, Des-Neiges confesses that she didn’t think much of the salesman’s appearance at first but fell in love once she got to know him. She admits that no man has ever cared about her before, and she’s afraid of being alone again, stating ashamedly, “I need a man” (49).

Des-Neiges's monologue ends and Linda enters with Ginette Ménard and Lise Paquette, explaining that she (Linda) has been at the restaurant. Germaine berates her, shrieking that if she spends all of her time at the restaurant, she will end up working in a brothel like her aunt, Pierrette. Linda explains that she only meant to go out for cigarettes but ran into Ginette and Lise. Her two friends take the blame, and Germaine exclaims that she already blames them, stating, “I’ve told Linda a hundred times not to run around with tramps” (50). Rose attempts to calm Germaine, and Gabrielle tells her not to interfere. Linda expresses appreciation for Rose’s help, and Germaine, her sisters, and Linda yell at each other. Germaine informs Rose that when Rose called earlier, Linda said that there was no need for proper phone etiquette because it was only Aunt Rose. Offended, Rose switches to Germaine’s side as the women continue to fight. Rose threatens to slap Linda, and Germaine gets angry, insisting that no one can hit her kids except for her.

The other women tell the sisters and Linda to stop fighting and end up drawn into the fight themselves. Olivine spills a saucer of water, and Germaine and Rose scream about it as Olivine starts to fall out of her chair again. Thérèse asks for help, and only Des-Neiges will come to her aid. Germaine warns Linda to stay out of her way, but when Linda says that she’s returning to the restaurant, Germaine threatens to kick her out if she does. The fighting continues until Gabrielle sees that Lisette is still calmly pasting stamps; she calls Lisette a snob for refusing to get involved. The spotlight focuses on Lisette, who says that she wishes that she had listened to her husband and not come to this party because the women are like barnyard animals. Lisette hates them and asserts, “These people are cheap. […] They should be hidden away somewhere” (56-57). The fight resumes, and Linda announces that she’s leaving, despite Germaine’s continued threats. From offstage, a neighbor screams at the women to be quiet or she will call the police. Rose replies, “Go ahead and call ’em. We need a few men up here” (58).

Linda leaves with Ginette and Lise, and Germaine is beside herself with embarrassment. Outside, Linda greets Angéline Sauvé and Rhéauna Bibeau, and Rose urges Germaine to calm down before Angéline and Rhéauna come inside. Angéline and Rhéauna enter with Linda and her friends, who have decided to stay to spend time with the two new arrivals. Germaine asks them about the funeral. In a spotlight, Angéline and Rhéauna describe the shock of the death: Although they didn’t really know the man, his death made them think about their own mortality. According to Rhéauna, he came home looking pale but assured his wife that he was all right. During dinner he became angry and disciplined his daughter, Rolande, for misbehaving. Then he fell over into his soup. Angéline worries that she herself might die suddenly without having the chance to confess. She and Rhéauna note that at the funeral, Rolande looked terrible and blamed herself for killing her father. The two women criticize the dead man’s suit and the widow’s sister: Rhéauna asserts that the woman looks old because she lives an immoral life, like Pierrette Guérin. Rhéauna says that she despises Pierrette, and Angéline defends Pierrette mildly.

Germaine, Rose, and Gabrielle chime in that Pierrette, their youngest sister, was their father’s clear favorite. She was pretty, smart, and pious, but they never resented her for it. Pierrette planned to become a teacher until she met Johnny, whom they blame for her downfall.

Rhéauna is about to share gossip about something Pierrette did to Yvette, but Thérèse interjects by crying out in pain and hitting her mother-in-law on the head. Germaine tells her to hit her as much as she needs to get her under control, which makes Thérèse angry. Rose mutters, “If it was up to me, I’d pitch her over the balcony” (69). Thérèse becomes furious at the insult to Olivine, and they start arguing. The other women get involved in the fight, and Gabrielle notices that Marie-Ange is stealing booklets. Marie-Ange tells her to be quiet and take some for herself. The fight continues, and the women all move around the room, using the argument as a cover to steal more. Then the door opens and Pierrette Guérin enters unexpectedly. The women respond with shock, and Germaine exclaims that she told Pierrette that she never wanted to see her again. Pierrette announces that she heard about Germaine’s big win and has come to see for herself. Then she notices Angéline and exclaims, “Well, I’ll be goddamned! Angéline! What are you doing here?” (72) Everyone stares at Angéline.