The Testament of Celebrities, The Cursed Inheritance

In the iconic “Hotel California,” the Eagles sang, “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” Jon Lachlan Stewart’s piece “The Testament of Celebrities” reminds us that this eternal grip on actors is unfortunately still relevant.

The story is somewhat known: on the stage of the Center of Today’s Theater, director Olivier Morin tells us about the lives of child actors who have grown up, still marked by the popular work in which they dedicated many years.

To make matters worse, the author of the series, titled “Grimblegitch” here, turned out to be a conservative of the worst kind, making incendiary statements that earned the scorn of a good portion of her audience.

Nevertheless, after a terrible tragedy at an Oscar event celebrating the author’s career, three main actors from the series commit to filming the ultimate chapter of a saga that would end up with 15 episodes.

“The Testament of Celebrities” ventures into a terrain already explored by others, but it deserves to be revisited. After all, remakes, sequels, and derivative works continue to flood our screens. Not to mention the merchandising. And should we even mention an author of a certain children’s series still raking in millions, even after clearly expressing transphobic views?

If we appreciate Mr. Lachlan Stewart’s frankness and the directness with which he criticizes a system slowly decaying from within, we might lament the multitude of themes tackled during the play.

Because it’s not just about the separation between an artist and their work; there’s also the idea of Hollywood devouring its actors and workers, akin to Saturn devouring his children. And on top of that, the arrival of artificial intelligence. All within a tight 90 minutes. Whew! And let’s not forget the traumas expressed by each of the three characters on stage.

It’s a lot. Is it too much? Not necessarily, but the transitions are quick, changing perspectives rapidly – are we witnessing a filming sequence, an interview, a personal reflection? And since it all happens without changing sets or costumes, even for actress Chloé Germentier, who plays at least two characters, there’s a risk of getting lost.

Amusingly grim, “The Testament of Celebrities” denounces, sometimes clumsily, or with a bit too much eagerness, a neurotic, corrupt world from which it seems impossible to escape. A work worth seeing.

“The Testament of Celebrities,” by Jon Lachlan Stewart, translated and directed by Olivier Morin Featuring Gabriel Favreau, Chloé Germentier and Rebecca Vachon At the Center of Today’s Theater, until May 9

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