Notable Quebec Playwrights

1. Gratien Gélinas (1909–99)

Gratien Gélinas is one of the leading figures of modern Quebec theatre. He is often considered as the grandfather of Quebec theatre. His career as a playwright, actor and director spans more than 60 years.

In 1948, he wrote and starred in the play Tit-Coq, which was considered groundbreaking work at the time. It was presented at the Monument-National and addressed themes of identity and discrimination against people born out of wedlock in post-war Quebec. The play quickly became a success and is still considered a Quebec theatre classic.

In 1957, Gélinas founded the Comédie Canadienne and established it in a theatre on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal. The location became an iconic venue that contributed to establishing Quebec national identity in the performing arts. (See Francophone Nationalism in Quebec.) Under the theatre director’s leadership until 1972, the company played a crucial role in the development of the performing arts in Canada.

In 1959, Gélinas wrote Bousille et les justes, a play that highlights the social and ethical conflicts of the Duplessis era. In 1966, he wrote his third play, Hier, les enfants dansaient. It revolved around the political dilemma tearing apart two generations of a family, one advocating separatism and the other the status quo. This play was broadcast on Radio-Canada (CBC) and on educational television networks in the United States (PBS). It was later staged in Paris in 1973.

2. Michel Tremblay (1942–)

Michel Tremblay is a prolific Quebec playwright, novelist and screenwriter. He is also a songwriter and translator. Many of his works have been praised in Canada, the US and throughout Europe. According to the Goodwin agency, Tremblay's work includes 41 plays, 31 novels, 10 collections and 7 film and television scripts. His works have profoundly transformed theatre in Quebec.

His play Les Belles-Sœurs (1968) was an unprecedented masterpiece. It introduced joual, the popular language of Quebec, to the stage. This bold choice represented a turning point in Quebec culture. It contributed to building and empowering Quebec identity. The play, which highlights the lives of working-class women, quickly became a classic.

Tremblay continued with other notable works, such as À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou (1971), Albertine, en cinq temps (1984) and Le vrai monde? (1987).

Tremblay’s legacy is tremendous. He continues to inspire generations in the literary and theatrical world. His innovative use of popular Quebec French and his exploration of the universal themes of love, family, and political and gender identity make him a pillar of Quebec culture.

3. Robert Lepage (1957–)

Robert Lepage is renowned for his innovative use of technology and multimedia elements in his theatrical productions.

In 1978, he graduated from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique du Québec and went to Paris to hone his craft under Alain Knapp’s mentorship. In 1982, Lepage joined Théâtre Repère, where he began to develop his unique approach to theatre. In 1985, he created La Trilogie des dragons (The Dragons’ Trilogy), a complex and ambitious work that catapulted him onto the world stage, followed with the same success by his 1991 play Les aiguilles et l’opium (Needles and Opium).

From 1989 to 1993, he was artistic director of the French language theatre at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In 1994, he founded his company, Ex Machina, in a former fire station in Quebec. It was a testing ground to push the boundaries between the performing arts, film, video and emerging technologies. With Ex Machina, Lepage created notable shows such as The Seven Streams of the River Ōta (1994), Elsinore (1995), The Far Side of the Moon (2000), 887 (2015), Courville (2021) and The Riopelle Project (2023).

4. Wajdi Mouawad (1968–)

In 1978, at the age of ten, Wajdi Mouawad and his family fled the civil war in Lebanon. They first settled in France and later immigrated to Quebec in 1983. This experience has influenced his entire body of work.

In 1991, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada and began a career that quickly launched him to the forefront of the arts scene. The same year, he founded the company Théâtre Ô Parleur with Isabelle Leblanc, where he produced his first works. He consolidated his international fame with his tetralogy The Blood of Promises, which includes Littoral (1997), Incendies (2003), Forêts (2006) and Ciels (2009). Denis Villeneuve’s 2010 film adaptation of Incendies was a huge critical and commercial success and received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Mouawad has directed several theatrical organizations. From 2000 to 2004 he was director of the Théâtre de Quat'Sous in Montreal. In 2005, he founded the companies Abé Carré Cé Carré in Quebec and Au Carré de l'Hypoténuse in France. He was also the Artistic Director of the French language theatre at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from 2007 to 2012 and has been artistic director of Paris’s La Colline national theatre since 2016.

Mouawad's creations are distinguished by an in-depth exploration of themes such as memory, war, exile and family dynamics. His ability to entwine personal tragedy with collective history resonates with a wide audience. His theatrical and novelistic works have been translated and published in some twenty languages and have been staged and performed around the world.

5. Olivier Choinière (1973–)

Olivier Choinière is a playwright and director known for his innovative and multidisciplinary works. In 2000, Choinière founded the theatre company L'ACTIVITÉ, which strives to explore a unique and experimental theatrical aesthetic.

His plays, such as Jocelyne est en depression (2002), deal with deep societal issues in an often sarcastic and biting manner. He excels in the art of combining fiction and reality. He transforms contemporary stories into real reflections on today's society. His work is distinguished by a powerful critique of media and consumer culture, as well as an exploration of individual and collective identities.

Choinière often uses fragmented storytelling techniques and non-linear structures to challenge and engage the audience. He even goes as far as to invite the audience to respond to performers on stage. He also collaborates with artists to create multidisciplinary works that push the boundaries of traditional theatre.

6. Evelyne de la Chenelière (1975–)

After studying modern literature at the Sorbonne, Evelyne de la Chenelière trained in theater at Michel Granvale's school in Paris. She made her debut in Jean-Pierre Ronfard's Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental.

Her work is marked by plays such as Strawberries in January (1999) and Bashir Lazhar (2005), which tells the story of an Algerian refugee who teaches in Quebec. This work was adapted for the cinema by Philippe Falardeau under the title Monsieur Lazhar (2011). This film won several awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011.

Her narrative approach is poetic while exploring the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Her texts are also literary works in their own right and can be found in bookstores. Her contributions enrich the Quebec cultural landscape as well as the stages around the world.

7. Fabien Cloutier (1975–)

Fabien Cloutier graduated from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique du Québec in 2001. He quickly gained recognition for his powerful writing and urban tales, which he performs in a refreshing and moving way.

Inspired by his monologue Ousqu'ié Chabot? (2005), he wrote two plays that brought him to the public’s attention: Scotstown (2008) and Cranbourne (2011). His works Billy (Les jours de hurlement), released in 2012, and Pour réussir un poulet (2014) differ from his earlier work in their use of raw and authentic language. He mixes seriousness and humor while exploring his themes.

Cloutier has the rare talent of capturing the spirit of everyday language and concerns, which gives his works remarkable accuracy and depth. His marginalized characters explore social tensions and economic inequality. His plays openly criticize power structures and social hypocrisies, while being marked by dark comedy and great sensitivity. Outside of theatre, Cloutier is also a recognised host and columnist, bringing his unique perspective and keen sense of observation to different media outlets.