A Yiddish‑language production of Michel Tremblay’s landmark 1960s play Les Belles‑Sœurs opened on June 16, 2026 at the Segal Centre in Montreal’s Snowdon neighbourhood. The staging, overseen by Claudia Hébert, presents the original story of women on the Plateau Mont‑Royal in Yiddish, a first for the work.
The Segal Centre, a hub for the city’s Jewish cultural life, is presenting the play as part of its commitment to multilingual theatre. By translating the dialogue while retaining the plot and characters, the production offers a new linguistic lens on the social dynamics that made the original a touchstone of Quebec theatre.
Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles‑Sœurs, first performed in 1968, depicted a group of working‑class women gathering to share a lottery win, exposing class tensions and gender roles on Montreal’s iconic Plateau. The Yiddish version maintains those themes, allowing members of the Jewish community to experience the narrative in a language that reflects their own heritage.
Claudia Hébert, who has directed several multilingual projects at the Centre, said the aim was to honor the play’s cultural importance while creating a bridge between Quebec’s francophone tradition and the city’s vibrant Yiddish‑speaking population. The production uses the same script structure, with only the spoken language altered, ensuring that the humor and pathos of the original remain intact.
Local Jewish organisations have highlighted the performance as a milestone, noting that it underscores the diversity of Montreal’s artistic scene. The show runs for several weeks, with performances scheduled at the Segal Centre’s main auditorium, offering both French‑speaking audiences and Yiddish speakers an opportunity to engage with a classic piece of Quebec drama.
The debut marks a notable moment for the city’s cultural landscape, illustrating how historic works can be re‑imagined for new linguistic audiences while preserving their core stories.