Me, Joan | What if Joan of Arc had been non-binary?

Espace GO opens its season with a bold work that gives voice to a non-binary version of Joan of Arc. Rest assured, no one wants to rewrite History with a capital H. The piece Me, Jeanneexplores – for the sole needs of art – the historical framework of the Maid of Orleans by interweaving it with a questioning of gender identity.

The text written by Charlie Josephine, first performed at the Globe in London in 2022, was translated by Sarah Berthiaume, who also wrote the adaptation of The woman who runs awaycurrently showing at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. “We’re sticking a current debate on a story that has been told a thousand times, especially by men,” explains Mélodie Noël Rousseau, who co-signed the staging with Geneviève Labelle.

Labelle will also take on the features of Joan of Arc, whom they describe as a symbol of strength and self-determination. “It’s a firecracker with a fuse and that’s me!” reveals their interpreter with a laugh.

The audience will meet a 17-year-old girl who discovers that she is more than what she is told. “She wonders why guys don’t listen to her and the play evolves into something that questions gender,” explains Geneviève Labelle.

The duo, who have just won (with Josianne Dulong-Savignac) the Françoise-Graton prize for the play Blastcontinues on its momentum.

His sidekick is excited about bringing the energy of their company Pleurer dans’ douche to the stage of an institutional theater. “It’s pretty messy,” says Geneviève Labelle. “We’re not good!”

While members of the theatre community have been telling them for years that their work has a place at Espace GO, they are finally performing there. “Our works are all feminist: we denounce misogyny and patriarchy in all our shows, so it makes sense to be at the women’s theatre,” explains Geneviève Labelle.

“Our inclusive feminism is also intended to be a helping hand to feminists who came before us,” adds her creative partner. “We recognize their struggles and their realities, and we are open to discussion.”

Niche theme?

When asked why the general public would be interested in non-binarity, the answer is immediate. “People want to turn a blind eye to it,” says Mélodie Noël Rousseau. “We talk about it in a joyful way to try to demystify all that.”

While the room Michel(the)which addresses transgender identity, was greeted with a long ovation at La Licorne during its premiere on September 17, queer voices seem to be occupying more and more space. “Our words have long been put aside,” recalls Mélodie. “We had ‘accepted’ that our normativity was to listen to heterosexual stories in theater, television and cinema. We transposed our loves through their stories.”

The LGBTQ+ audience is hungry to recognize themselves on Quebec stages, as evidenced by their success. “We have both a loyal queer audience and many other people who like our artistic approach, who know that we are stirring things up and who follow us,” adds Geneviève.

To brew, they brew! In addition to carving out a unique place for themselves in the theatrical world, Mélodie and Geneviève have shaken up the world of drag with their drag king characters (Rock Bière and RV Métal) in recent years. “We’re still doing drag, but we’re more selective about our contracts,” says Mélodie. “We can’t finish at 3 a.m. on weeknights anymore. That said, there will be two kings in the play: they play the roughest people towards Jeanne.

True to their exuberance, the two artists chose to illustrate Joan of Arc’s battles with festive moments. “These will be raves sweaty and full of queer joy that invite emancipation, specifies Geneviève. Beyond her warlike conquests, Joan’s quest is a quest for emancipation and discovery of gender identity.

Me, Jeanne is presented at Espace GO until October 20, 2024.

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October 3, 4 and 5 at Diamant, in Quebec

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Stephanie Morin, The Press

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At the Centaur Theatre until October 6th

Stephanie Morin, The Press

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September 28 and 29, at Usine C. Please note that the performance scheduled for September 27 has been canceled.

Iris Gagnon-Paradis, The Press

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At Espace Libre until September 28, then at the end of April at the Réjean-Ducharme hall of the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde

Stephanie Morin, The Press

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Iris Gagnon-Paradis, The Press

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