With her documentary series Nous sortirons de nos cuisines (We Will Leave Our Kitchens), Jenny Cartwright offers us a testimony of extraordinary value. By tracing the history of the first feminist theatre troupe in Quebec, she paints a sweeping historical fresco of the most exhilarating decades of the women’s movement, while also shedding light on key chapters of Quebec’s history. Built from the stories of the troupe’s four members—Solange Collin, Carole Fréchette, Johanne Doré, and Véronique O’Leary—we are given a behind-the-scenes look at the struggles that led to, among other achievements, the legalization of abortion, the establishment of public daycare, the recognition of domestic labor, and maternity leave—all from the unique perspective of this revolutionary troupe.

One wonders why we haven't heard more from the women interviewed in this work—their political insight is simply astonishing. Young feminists will rejoice in gaining access to this memory, delivered with the brilliance we’ve come to expect from Cartwright, now a leading figure in audio storytelling with this ninth sound creation. The radio format could not be more fitting: it allows voices to unfold, ideas to expand, and speech to finally exist without interruption.

In this second episode, we dive into an issue that remains central to women's contemporary realities: domestic labor. Analyzed through a Marxist lens by the troupe's activists, the invisible labor of women is seen as capitalism's cash cow. It is this unpaid labor that sustains the workforce, enabling production to continue. The question sparks deep divisions among feminist groups, who cannot agree on whether domestic labor should be waged—the fear being that doing so would further confine women to the home. Internal conflicts within the movement are, of course, numerous, as these monumental issues are intricately tied to the real, private, and physical lives of women. Once again, the women of the troupe demonstrate remarkable political and human insight, even choosing to pause their work in order to educate themselves further.

This episode also contains gems on the subject of theatre and its revolutionary potential. You must hear O’Leary share her vision of the “professional audience” and theatre institutions. Committed to going where the non-professional public can be found in order to have a real impact, the artists couldn’t care less about how the cultural elite views them. They place themselves on the margins—not out of bitterness or judgment, but simply because their mission is fundamentally emancipatory and for the people. Traveling across Quebec in their caravan, they perform in village church basements. In an era of online activism and cozy echo chambers, who on the left is still doing this kind of grassroots work today?

Naomie Décarie-Daigneault
Tënk's Artistic Director