La Belle-mère/The Stepmother challenges stereotypes

Tashi Farmilo

La belle-mère/The Stepmother, an innovative bilingual performance that confronted long-held stereotypes of the stepmother archetype, opened the Maison des arts littéraires' 2025 season with performances held on May 17–18 at Gatineau’s Cabaret La Basoche.

Co-created by poets and performers Rachel McCrum and Amélie Prévost, the show used poetic narratives to explore the nuanced emotional landscape of step-parenting—a role frequently burdened with negative cultural portrayals. The performance intentionally coincided with National Stepfamily Day, aiming to spark dialogue about the complexities and challenges faced by step-parents.

McCrum and Prévost, both stepmothers themselves, had begun their collaboration from shared personal experiences. McCrum described their initial conversation as a turning point, recalling “the sheer relief of being able to share our frustrations and our fears,” which inspired them to create something meaningful. Prévost emphasized the lack of positive cultural representations for stepmothers, stating, “We wanted to humanize her, give her a voice, and create a nuanced model others could relate to.”

Their work was further enriched through extensive interviews with numerous step-parents and stepchildren across Quebec and the United Kingdom. This collaborative approach resulted in a rich tapestry of personal yet fictionalized stories that challenged prevailing negative stereotypes, replacing them with nuanced, relatable portrayals.

The creators described their artistic process as both rigorous and deeply personal, translating and writing in both English and French to ensure authenticity and resonance in both languages.

McCrum, typically an English writer, and Prévost, a francophone, meticulously crafted their bilingual performance to be indistinguishable in authorship, reflecting the fluid reality of bilingual families. McCrum noted the intimate nature of translating each other’s work, calling it “the most intimate editing, translated in real-time.”

“The aim was to open the discussion broadly, not only among step-parents but with their families and communities,” Prévost explained. McCrum further emphasized the show’s intent to foster “empathy, understanding, and validation” among stepfamilies and broader audiences.