We recognize that Théâtre Cercle Molière is situated on the ancestral lands of the Anishinabee, Ininewak and Dakota peoples, as well as the homeland of the Métis Nation. We recognize that Manitoba is also home to the ancestral lands of the Anishininiwak and Dene. Stories have been told on these lands for millennia, and we would like to thank our ancestors, our grandmothers and grandfathers, for proudly transmitting to us the English language and the Michif language.
Printed on recycled paper by Contemporary Printing Services Inc.
Illustrations and layout : Arielle Morier-Roy
Bonnes Bonnes
Produced by
Nervous Hunter
Producer and director
Sophie Gee
Playwrights
Sophie Gee and Tamara Nguyen
Actresses
Sophie Gee, Charo Foo Tai Wei, Meilie Ng
Technical Director and Stage Manager
Aurora Torok
Set Designer
Maryanna Chan
Costume Designer
Jessica Poirier-Chang
Lighting Designer Nine Desbaillet
Sound Designer
Christine ML Lee
Projection Designer
Amelia Scott
Technical Director for TCM
Miguel Fortier
Assistant Technical Director for TCM
Patrick Bellemare
Technicians
Zach Ballingall, Rowan Lundy, Josh Taillefer
Subtitles Operator and Translator
Jack Maier
THE ESSENTIALS
Please switch off your mobile phones. Taking photographs or videos during the performance is prohibited.
Show Duration : 85 min, with no intermission Suggested Audience : 14 years + Advisory: Vulgar language, mature themes
Talkback with the Artists : After the show on Thursdays, November 20 and 27.
L'aparté : Before the show on Friday, 21 November, from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm, Marie-Ève Fontaine will welcome Fanny Lin and Vincent Blais to the TCM foyer to discuss how to live and embrace multiculturalism in Manitoba as an Asian or racialised person.
Accessibility Services: Get access to English or French subtitles, hearing assistance devices and more. Ask our team about our accessibility services or visit cerclemoliere.com/en/box-office to learn more.
JE VEUX LIRE CECI EN FRANÇAIS
Oops! Il semble que vous vous soyez égaré·e·s. Scannez ce code ou visitez la page Web de la pièce pour retrouver le programme en français, qui est aussi disponible au théâtre.
SYNOPSIS
Three women of Chinese descent gather around a bold new work by one of their own — a reimagining of Jean Genet’s Les Bonnes. Together, they dive headfirst into childhood memories, the love-hate tug-of-war with whiteness, the colonial residues etched in their minds — and just as passionately, into Chinese soap operas, chili sauce, family rituals and the bestselling Crazy Rich Asians. They unpack the evolution of their relationship with Chinese identity — from shame to pride, with a lingering undercurrent of worry, especially in a world where China’s power keeps rising. And yes — they raise a big, unapologetic middle finger to everyone who ever made fun of how their school lunches smelled.
AFTER THE PLAY
Complete the survey on the show's webpage for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show of your choice this season!
WHAT'S NEW
The Molière Century merchandise is finally available! Get your hands on a T-shirt or hoodie from our centenary season at the TCM shop.
Attend a staged reading of Martin Bellemare's play Retour en Palestine on Wednesday, 3 December at 7 p.m. at the TCM Studio. What is a staged reading? This type of performance features stationary actors with scripts in hand. It's the perfect opportunity to enjoy some relaxed theatre—and it's free!
The National Theatre School of Canada will offer two training workshops for the community on December 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at TCM. Details to follow!
We are welcoming the Association des théâtres francophones du Canada (ATFC) to our theatre for their professional development workshops from November 30 to December 13. Each year, three interships bring together more than a dozen artists from Canada's Francophone minority communities for two weeks of exchange and professional development on themes tailored to their circumstances. Welcome!
The next Family Sunday will take place on 18 January at TCM for a Japanese percussion performance called Taiko. Join us for an energetic performance, halfway between martial arts athleticism, meditation and rhythm with Fubuki Daiko. The show will be followed by a craft activity and a snack.
Family Sundays are free French-language events for children and their families, offered in partnership with the Fédération des parents de la francophonie manitobaine. Places are limited, so reservations are encouraged.
STAY UP TO DATE WITH OUR ACTIVITIES
The TCM newsletter keeps you informed about all our events and special projects throughout the season. Sign up on our website's home page: cerclemoliere.com or by scanning this code so you don't miss a thing!
Subscribe: Get four discounted tickets to the shows of your choice by purchasing the subscription of the century! Available throughout the season at 204-233-8053 or at cerclemoliere.com/en/box-office#subscriptions
FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Welcome to Théâtre Cercle Molière for the second show of our 100th season: Bonnes Bonnes
Hailing from Montreal, this production by the Nervous Hunter company is the brainchild of multidisciplinary artist Sophie Gee, who not only co-wrote the script with Tamara Nguyen, but also directed the play and stars in it herself (!).
This Chinese-Canadian woman has stories to tell about her cultural heritage, and in particular the internalised racism she experiences/cultivates (unconsciously) towards her Chinese culture. Simply put, internalised racism is the state of a person, often from a visible minority, who assimilates prejudices and stereotypes against their own cultural group, leading to self-deprecation.
Transforming adversity into a creative force, Sophie Gee examines her relationship with her own culture: is she too Chinese to be a Canadian citizen? Is she Chinese enough to have the right to claim her heritage? I imagine her as a tightrope walker, searching for the perfect balance...
These questions seem relevant to the French-speaking community we form here in Manitoba. In this English-speaking majority, asserting oneself is a daily struggle, just as it is for the characters in Bonnes Bonnes.
Okay, I know. You're thinking, ‘This isn't exactly light-hearted stuff, is it?’ But don't worry! The subject matter is so well seasoned with humour and chilli sauce that I promise you'll have a good... and spicy time.
Thank you for being here, and enjoy the show!
Marie-Ève Fontaine
Artistic Director & Co-Executive Director for Théâtre Cercle Molière
OUR NEXT SHOW
Don't miss Flammèche Théâtre's production of :
January 14 to 24, 2026
Based on the works of Gabrielle Roy, featuring Marie-Ève Fontaine, Natalie Labossière and Gérald Laroche.
Photo : Sarah Lamontagne
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“As an immigrant you learn very quickly to adapt and you know what to say to be liked, you know what to say to pass under the radar.” Author Kim Thúy said these words in September 2025 on the television show Tout le monde en parle. Even though I am not an immigrant (I am the child of immigrants), I understand these words very well. When I was young, I refused to be Chinese at school. I wanted to fit in, I wanted to pass under the radar. I wanted to be white.
A few years ago, someone asked me if I had experienced racism growing up in Edmonton. I realized that even though my parents and I experienced a lot of microaggressions, the racism that had the biggest effect on me was the racism I did to myself. Internalized racism is violence against oneself, but it is also a survival strategy.
These sentiments are mixed in with the changing fortunes of Chinese people. China is now the country with the second highest number of billionaires, after the United States. I have to admit that I take a certain satisfaction in this statistic in a childish way.
In her book Minor Feelings, Cathy Park Hong wrote: “The takeaway from the crowdpleasing opening scene in the novel and film Crazy Rich Asians is the following: if you discriminate against us, we'll make more money thank you and buy your fancy hotel that wouldn't let us in. Capitalism as retribution for racism.”
I have a lot of affection for the maids in our version of The Maids. They give in to their childish impulses. The maids also don't care about the existence of a hierarchy. They just don't want to be at the bottom. They don't want to be the oppressed, but they don't mind oppressing. They want power, but they don't stop there, they want to take revenge. But how is revenge healthy?
The show explores the desire to be white in my personal life and my artistic practice: why did I work on a European play? Was it to gain the approval of a white audience? Growing up, I found solace from my immigrant family in Western art. Having been educated in Canada, my education was very Western. European works of art in particular were unsurprisingly held up as works worthy of study. How can I, as a Chinese-Canadian artist, acknowledge the Western bias in my education, honour the fine works of art I studied and loved, and find my own place in the arts? How do I forgive the violence I inflicted on myself in the past? And now, as an adult, how can I suppress the desire for revenge? Take care of the wounded child in me?
Sophie Gee
Director, playwright and actress of the play Bonnes Bonnes
Catch the Nuances of French
Build your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, and explore the cultural subtleties that make French come alive.
USB’s Conversational French program is designed for adult learners. Nine different levels of theme-based, interactive classes help you learn sentence structure as well as communication strategies and Francophone culture.
Learn French at ustboniface.ca/
Vous connaissez quelqu’un qui pourrait s’intéresser à apprendre la langue de Molière?
Partagez-lui cette annonce!
THE TROUPE
Sophie Gee
Director, Producer, Co-Playwright and Actress
Sophie Gee is a director and creator of multidisciplinary works. Her credits include Bonnes Bonnes (Théâtre Aux Écuries) and Lévriers (MAI, NAC, CAM on tour). She has collaborated with companies such as Centaur Theatre (Three Women of Swatow by Chloé Hung), Imago Theatre (Tropic of X by Caridad Svich), Talisman Theatre (Habibi’s Angels: commission impossible by Hoda Adra and Kalale Dalton-Lutale), Théâtre I.N.K. (Duos en morceaux) and Théâtre Duceppe (associate director for Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica). With set designer Eo Sharp, she created Un an en défilés, exploring collective marching in Verdun. A graduate of the National Theatre School, she is a recipient of the John Hirsch Prize. nervoushunter.com
Charo Foo Tai Wei
Actress
Charo Foo Tai Wei is a multidisciplinary artist who blends cultures and forms of expression. Trained in classical Chinese dance, she went on to study contemporary dance at the École de danse de Québec. From 2007 to 2013, she performed internationally in Robert Lepage's Le Dragon bleu with Ex Machina. Her discovery of butoh in 2015, under the tutelage of Natsu Nakajima and Yukio Waguri, transformed her choreographic language, blending the precision of classical Chinese dance with the visceral physicality of butoh to explore trauma, transformation and resilience. Her solos Jin Gu Bang and Yearning were presented at Tangente and the Festival Accès Asie. She recently performed at the Stratford Festival and in several independent productions.
Meilie Ng
Actress
Meilie Ng is an actress who graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada. She has appeared on French and English television in Sex/Life (Netflix), Indéfendable (TVA), Umbrella Academy (Netflix), Covert Affairs (Amazon Prime) and several other series. A host for Flip TFO and La Mission Flip, she also lends her voice to Kim Thuy's novel RU and various short films. On stage, she has participated in Dora Award-nominated productions for Best Young Audience Ensemble: Les Zinspirés 6, In This World and Les Zinspirés. Her credits include Romeo & Juliet, Les Fourberies de Scapin, The Winter's Tale and Richard III. She is now exploring Asian representation in Canada with the play Bonnes Bonnes
Tamara Nguyen
Co-Playwright
Tamara Nguyen is an author and dramaturgical advisor. With degrees in literature, philosophy (UdeM) and playwriting (ÉNT, 2019), she co-wrote Bonnes Bonnes with Sophie Gee (Théâtre Aux Écuries, 2023). Her plays Les papillons du littoral, Maelström and La démagogie des dragons are being directed by Claudia Chan Tak, Annie Ranger and Vincent Kim respectively between 2023 and 2024. She is also the dramaturg for Au revoir zébu and S’enjailler. Interested in political satire and the reflective role of art, she presented Jin Gu Bang and Yearning at Tangente and the Festival Accès Asie. Also a performer, she has acted at the Stratford Festival and in several independent productions.
Aurora Torok (she / her / by name)
Technical Director and Stage Manager
Aurora Torok is a queer, hearing-impaired artist (using hearing aids) currently living in Tio'tia:ke (Montreal). Her experience in the performing arts is mainly in theatre, having graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in set design and technical arts, as well as Concordia University with a BFA specialising in theatre design. Other disciplines include contemporary dance, outdoor art installations, comedy, and visual arts. Aurora was nominated for Outstanding Lighting Design (as an associate) by the METAs in 2023/24.
Maryanna Chan (she / her)
Set Designer
Maryanna Chan is a Chinese-Canadian illustrator and scenographer from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Treaty 6 Territory). She studied illustration and design at the Alberta University of the Arts (BDes, 2018). She also graduated from the scenography programme at the National Theatre School of Canada in 2021. Her work focuses on the representation of cultural identities, equality, and liberation. She seeks to highlight the stories of underrepresented and marginalised people and communities in her work.
Jessica Poirier-Chang
Costume Designer
Jessica Poirier-Chang, a costume designer based in Montreal, graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 2006. After four seasons at the Stratford Festival, she has designed costumes for numerous theatres in Quebec and Canada. Her recent projects include Foxfinder (Imago Theatre, 2022 – META nomination), Chimerica (Duceppe, 2024 – François-Barbeau Award) and The Cirque! (Cirque du Soleil, 2024). She is currently designing costumes for The Tale of the Gifted Prince (Calgary Theatre) and a new Cirque du Soleil show (2026). jessicapchang.com
THE TROUPE
Nine Desbaillets
Lighting Designer
Born in Geneva, Nine studied photography and worked as a camerawoman for Swiss television. She arrived in Montreal in 2004. She then explored several professional avenues before becoming a stay-at-home mother of three children for 10 years. She separated from her husband, restarted her professional life from scratch, and in 2021 found herself at the National Theatre School studying creation and production. Since then, she has designed the lighting for Caroline Gravel's Ugly Feelings (OFFTA). Nine also works for the Maisons de la Culture. She is a member of the multidisciplinary collective BEATS and is now creating her first lighting design for the theatre with Bonnes Bonnes
Christine ML Lee Sound Designer
Christine ML Lee, based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal), is a composer, playwright and poet. Her work explores the connections between music, movement and storytelling. Nominated for a META Award for Psycho 6 (Teesri Duniya Theatre), she is currently developing the musical Just a Note, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Winner of the Frankie Award for Most Promising Emerging Artist (Fringe Montreal 2022), Christine is delighted to be participating in Bonnes Bonnes. Her mentorship in sound design with Maddie Bautista is made possible by the Associated Designers of Canada and the Government of Canada.
Amelia Scott
Projection Designer
Amelia Scott is a video designer and multimedia technologist. She uses animation, film and live camera work to create poetic textures and emotive scenography. A teacher at the National Theatre School of Canada and lecturer at Concordia University, she is based in Montreal. Her work has been presented in Canada and internationally, notably with the Royal Swedish Opera, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, New Zealand Opera, Festival TransAmériques, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Crow's Theatre and the National Arts Centre in Canada.
Bonnes Bonnes is a rare glimpse into the ChineseCanadian-French experience on our stage. Guided by the contrasting perspectives of three women, the lines between the dramatic elements of the play become blurred: are they the characters in the story, or its spectators? Are their words honest, or are they a performance for the audience or for themselves? Are we merely the spectators of the play, or do we also have a role in this story?
The inclusion of a French play written in 1947 may seem surprising at first glance, but it serves as a clever dark mirror for Sophie, who is confronted with the complex feelings that her intersectional identity brings her. In Genet's Les Bonnes, two maids express their dissatisfaction with their social class by employing very different coping strategies. Their gaze is directed outwards – they do not see each other, even though they share the stage.
The elements of this show can be interpreted from various perspectives – and the same goes for this illustration. Does the vertical text serve to connect or divide the characters? Does the symmetry of the image highlight their similarities or draw attention to their differences? Is the chilli sauce covering the characters familiar or uncomfortable? Will it stain their clothes or dye them a lucky red? Is Sophie, who is observing the scene, enlightened by it or crushed beneath its weight?
Bonnes Bonnes invites us to examine our identities and the way we play our own roles – perhaps the answer is not to be found on stage, but in what we choose to see there.
Arielle Morier-Roy (she/they)
is a Queer, nerdy, crafty and multiskilled graphic artist who has been working at TCM since 2016. She is deeply grateful to have been entrusted with the opportunity to create the visual identity for the Molière Century
Find out more on the artist's webpage for the 2025–2026 season!
