Is this the beginning of a new era? That of migration and the decentralization of Quebec theatre? Judging by the many Quebec-Montreal partnerships, co-broadcasts and co-productions in the programming for the next season (2023-2024), we have to believe so. The medium, on the sidelines of a change of guard of the artistic directions, seems inclined to make the shows shine longer in the two cities.
Of course, exchanges between theaters are not new. However, these have often caused friction and frustration, mainly for artists outside the metropolis. “At the Trident, in the 1980s, we gave all the leading roles to the headliners of Montreal. The Quebec actors were content to play the doorknobs! “, illustrates Anne-Marie Olivier, former director of Trident, in the documentary on the 50 years of the company.
She reminds us that in response to the invasion of television stars in the Old Capital, combined with the exodus of actors to Montreal, Roland Lepage had formed, in 1989, the troupe of permanent actors of the Trident. To get young actors to work in the theater, such as Benoît Gouin, Guylaine Tremblay, Jacques Leblanc, Marie-Ginette Guay, Marie-Thérèse Fortin…
In 2023, no one would dare to ignore the young performers of Quebec. In a co-production, parity between cities is now law. “Our ecosystems are stronger than in the 1980s. We no longer have this negative and protectionist prejudice against Montreal,” explains Maxime Robin, who works in both cities and negotiates his contracts on the Quebec-Montreal train. The latter also repeats Hosanna or The Scheherazade of the Poor, which opens the season of the Trident, with an icon of Montreal nights: Luc Provost, better known by his drag name, Mado Lamotte.
Trained at the Conservatoire de Québec, Maxime Robin is part of a generation of artists from the capital – with Alexandre Fecteau, Véronique Côté, Marie-Hélène Gendreau – who work on several stages, without denying Quebec theatrical life.
“This new generation is asserting itself and showing real openness,” notes Marie-Josée Bastien, who teaches at the Conservatoire de Québec. But me, the Quebec-Montreal rivalry, I never felt it… because I never wanted to feel it. I chose to do theater because it’s a nomadic profession,” says the actress and director.
Moreover, in the fall, the director of Théâtre Level Parking moved temporarily to Montreal to direct Salle de nouvelles at Duceppe, then Projet Polytechnique at TNM. Marie-Josée Bastien is used to going back and forth between Quebec and Montreal: “The 20 is my office,” she says. I learn my texts in the car. I think about my stagings while driving. And I give lifts to collaborators to discuss ongoing projects. »
In an interview with La Presse at the launch of Le Diamant in 2019, Robert Lepage also said that “the theatrical community in Quebec must stop being parochial”. “We must encourage the circulation of theater throughout the province. In English Canada, an actor from Vancouver plays frequently in Toronto and across the country. Whereas in Quebec, interpreters mainly work in their city of residence… Or move to Montreal. »
Trident’s new artistic director, Olivier Arteau, embodies this “new theatrical culture”, curious, inclusive and open to creation from across Quebec. “For me, the idea of a real Quebec culture is not just about talking about urban life,” he says. He wants to make Trident “a great European theater house”, that is to say with the objective of making partnerships with companies on the fringes of major urban centers.
“My generation moves a lot for work. Not just for travel. To confront new visions, other creative processes, and different schools of thought. It’s important to meet artists from all walks of life,” explains Olivier Arteau, who never intended to move to the metropolis.
Like Edith Patenaude, who has shared half of her professional life between Quebec and Montreal. At the helm of Théâtre Espace Go for two weeks, the director comes to management “with a desire for openness and curiosity”. And also the intention “to build ties” between Montreal and the rest of Quebec.
“It’s not just a rapprochement between Quebec and Montreal,” says Patenaude. It is a longer-term vision of creation. We think about sustainability when ordering decor; to the life of the shows. To make our shows live longer and ensure better working conditions for performers and designers. »
“It’s great to bring a creation to life over time,” says Marie-Josée Bastien. Co-productions, with two or more companies, allow us to think of larger sets. For Gloucester and La Reine Margot, as for Salle de nouvelles, I was able to bring together 12 performers from Quebec and Montreal on a set. “As a director, I love directing performers who are not from the same theatrical family. It is very rich. »
