Another trademark of hyperrealism that is unmistakable in both texts is prominent acts of violence. In Les Belles-sœurs, the violence is projected onto wheelchair bound Olivine Dubuc, a senile old lady. Near the play’s beginning, she plummets down the stairs in her wheelchair, followed by another tumble in Germaine’s kitchen and relentless beatings from Thérèse Dubuc, her “irreproachable” daughter-in-law. A more widespread instance of violence ensues near the play’s end when all the women confess their feelings of anger and jealousy toward Germaine’s good fortune. Not only do the women admit to stealing booklets of stamps, but they viciously attack one another in an attempt to acquire even more stamps—a rare moment of glee for Olivine as she…show more content… Philomena runs into the scene to use the bathroom, throws the washroom door open to dispute with the other women, giving the audience a full view of her sitting on the toilet, before redressing herself and joining in women in an uproar. This riot scene far surpasses the mimed riot in Les Belles-sœurs, matching physical violence with equally as striking verbal aggression. The two works are parallel, not only through their use of hyperrealism, but equally through their respective employments of theatricalism—an interesting detail given that the two movements are generally considered incompatible. In Les Belles-sœurs, telltale signs of theatricalism are the monologues, which provide valuable insight into the anxieties that the women cannot bring themselves to share with their “sisters”. Among many other examples, these concerns include Angéline Sauvé’s confession of her time spent at the club, Des-Neiges Verrette’s infatuation with a travelling brush salesman, and Lisette de Courval’s contempt for the rest of the women. Highway, in The Rez Sisters, uses a similar technique in the first act, while the second act features spotlit duologues as opposed to
