The Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (CTD’A) has an ancient marquee, rectangular and circled with shiny metal, but the black letters arranged in a row do not spell out the title of the current play being performed there. Instead, you can read, “This trophy is a tombstone, and your speech will become its epitaph.”
On the very small stage of the black-box theater at the Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, until May 9, 2026, Jon Lachlan Stewart’s play “Le Testament des Célébrités” presents an intimate and chilling portrait of child stars who have become maladjusted adults.
“Three former stars of the cult franchise ‘Grimblegitch’ see their lives turned upside down when its controversial author, assassinated live at the Oscars, bequeaths them a final mission: take back their roles and conclude the saga by producing its final installment. As adults, these three child actors must delve back into the magical universe that shaped their youth. Between chosen memories, performed nostalgias, and buried traumas, the boundaries between life and fiction dangerously blur.” –via CTD’A
Rebecca Vachon, Gabriel Favreau, and Sophie Germentier in “Le Testament des Célébrités” via CTD’A
The satire in this piece, written by Jon Lachlan Stewart and directed by Olivier Morin for CTD’A, is harsh. The author of a series of YA books is revealed to be an ugly old woman (much like J.K. Rowling), all Hollywood celebrities die in a suicide bombing, and, in turn, we follow the sadly recognizable story of three child stars who return to work on the series with a sequel – and an ending.
Rebecca Vachon, who plays the star discovered at 11 years old, mixing “mommy issues”, a nebulous oxycodone addiction, and a lot of beauty and talent, is tragic, very funny, and tense to the extreme until the end of the play. She couldn’t be replaced by AI for anything.
“Le Testament des Célébrités” lasts 1.5 hours and races at breakneck speed, with fast-forwards and cuts like in an action movie punctuated by sad stories, screams, and tears. It’s recognizable as a satire of Hollywood and those who grew up on screen, almost too close to reality to be comfortable. But ultimately, it’s funny as if it were all just cinema.
Practical Information:
Where? Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (CTD’A), Jean-Claude-Germain room, at 3900 Saint-Denis Street
When? April 21, 2026, to May 9, 2026
How? Regular ticket $38 / 30 and under $30 / for more information and to book a ticket, click [here](source link)
