Pierre Petitclair | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Pierre Petitclair

Pierre Petitclair, dramatist (b at St-Augustin de Portneuf, Qué 12 Oct 1813; d at Pointe-au-Pot, Labrador 15 Aug 1860). He is author of the first play published by a native French Canadian, apart from dramatized political dialogues, Griphon, ou la vengeance d'un valet (1837).

Petitclair, Pierre

Pierre Petitclair, dramatist (b at St-Augustin de Portneuf, Qué 12 Oct 1813; d at Pointe-au-Pot, Labrador 15 Aug 1860). He is author of the first play published by a native French Canadian, apart from dramatized political dialogues, Griphon, ou la vengeance d'un valet (1837). This work was never performed, but his 2 other extant plays were staged in Québec C with considerable success: the 2-act melodrama La Donation (1842), the first play by a French Canadian to be published and performed, and Une partie de campagne, first staged in 1857 and published posthumously (1865). The latter is a satirical depiction of the dangers of aping English ways, and is the first stage text to make use of rural Québecois speech.