Champ de Mars: A Story of War is the English-language translation of Pierre-Michel Tremblay’s Au Champ de Mars, a play set in Montreal that deals with war’s effect on soldiers and civilians alike. The play was first produced by Théâtre de la Manufacture in 2009. An English language translation was made by Paula Wing

Characters

• A figment of Eric’s imagination, he taunts and torments Eric about a mysterious incident which has left the young soldier damaged.
• A pacifist who has strong ideals which are not matched by strong actions. He is also an electronic musician who teaches klezmer
  Klezmer
  Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
  
   clarinet lessons.
• A young soldier who has been traumatized by his time in Afghanistan. He is estranged from his family and friends, and feels intense guilt about something that happened while he was in active duty.
• A psychologist who works with young war veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. She, herself, suffers from compassion fatigue
  Compassion fatigue
  Compassion fatigue is a condition characterised by a gradual lessening of compassion over time. It is common among trauma victims and individuals that work directly with trauma victims. It was first diagnosed in nurses in the 1950s...
  
  , and seeks solace in Klezmer
  Klezmer
  Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
  
   clarinet lessons.
• An action film maker who hopes to direct a masterpiece, an Apocalypse Now
  Apocalypse Now
  Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
  
   for this generation. He hopes to use Scott as inspiration.

The title of the play refers to the ancient Roman Campus Martius

Campus Martius

The Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome...

, or Field of Mars, which was traditionally a training ground for battle. It also refers to the park in Montreal called Champ de Mars Park

Champ de Mars, Montreal

Champ de Mars is a public park in Old Montreal quarter of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Formerly a military parade ground, the park had previously been the site of Montreal's fortifications, which were demolished at the beginning of the 19th century soon after Montreal City Hall and the old courthouse...

.

External links

• http://www.lequatrieme.com/2010/01/theatre-de-la-manufacture-au-champ-de.html Théâtre de la manufacture - Au Champ de Mars, de Pierre-Michel Tremblay, Yves Rousseau - Le Quatrième, 2010
• http://www.voir.ca/publishing/article.aspx?zone=1§ion=8&article=68795 Choc post-traumatique, Phillipe Couture - Voir, 2010
• http://www.lametropole.com/article/arts-et-spectacles/theatre/au-champ-de-mars-%C3%A7a-frappe-fort AU CHAMP DE MARS : ÇA FRAPPE FORT!, Cynthia Lemieux - La Metropole, 2010
• http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/theatre/Arts+Autumn+Theatre+Canadian+originals+timeless+classics+stage/3453678/story.html Arts in Autumn, Theatre: Canadian originals, timeless classics to hit stage, Pat Donnelly - Montreal Gazette, 2010
• http://www.montrealmirror.com/wp/2010/09/16/arts/fallin%E2%80%99-on-stage/ THEATRE: Fallin’ on stage, Neil Boyce - Montreal Mirror, 2010
• http://www.hour.ca/stage/stage.aspx?iIDArticle=20388 The curtain calls, MJ Stone - The Hour, 2010