This text is part of the special Theater booklet
As is currently the case in several socio-economic sectors, the Quebec theater community is not immune to the labor shortage. We are facing career changes, whether on the side of artists or cultural workers, according to the co-president of the Quebec Theater Council (CQT) Laurence Régnier, who believes that this state of affairs is a consequence of a loss of meaning in with regard to the profession.
“It’s an immense devotion and passion, but we have to find the reason why we do this,” she says. A lot of players left, and I’m afraid we lost a certain layer of our new artistic voices who decided to leave the boat out of discouragement. »
She also fears that this succession will come out the loser in the calendar of new projects, continually jostled by cancellations and show postponements. “We feel a congestion in terms of distribution for new projects and especially for emerging companies that may have less space, because they can represent more risk,” says Laurence Régnier.
Sensitive to this reality, the CQT’s Emerging Talent Table, active from the start of the pandemic, aims to shed light on the specific issues for this category of artists. “We would like to see how we can reconnect the bridges and provide them with concrete support, because we need them in our society, says Laurence Régnier. These young artists have many possible solutions and reflections to bring to us. There is clearly a movement, we are not inactive in relation to that, but we know that it can take time. »
Reassure the public
Since February 28, performance halls have been receiving their audiences at maximum capacity. The question is whether this one is there. “Some venues have no problem and their rooms are full at the moment, underlines the co-president of the CQT Rachel Morse. But there are several who are struggling to fill their theaters, because with the repeated closings, it has been insinuated that there was a danger in going to the theater. »
For Rachel Morse, who is both an artist and assistant to the artistic and general direction of the Théâtre Aux Écuries, we must continue to invest in the various communication channels put in place during the pandemic. “You have to get the message across that it’s safe, even if the space is a little saturated right now,” she admits. Of course, we can’t claim to be the most important thing on the list, but I think this link is still possible. According to her, we must also continue to rely on cultural education, in particular through school performances and cultural mediation.
Somewhere hope
During his last visit to the theater to see the play Sappho, creation of the Théâtre de l’Affamée at the Quat’Sous, Laurence Régnier remembers this feeling of well-being which explains for her the importance of discipline. “People were happy to be there, the energy was extremely galvanizing and very different from before the pandemic, she says. I have the impression that we need this contact, this exchange between human beings, this heart-to-heart connection. »
However, this recovery cannot be done at any price according to Rachel Morse, who insists on the work overload which has only increased tenfold since the multiple closures and reopenings. “Artists and the community also need to learn to take care of themselves, because it’s not the others who are going to do it,” she insists. We have to find a way to prioritize the essential things in our practices because we can’t do everything right now. »
In the meantime, the workers are calling for this moment of community to be rediscovered. “There is something that heals, which soothes, which opens, which energizes, which gives hope, illustrates Laurence Régnier. It takes courage after the pandemic with the anxiety, I am aware of it, but I want to call from the heart and say: let’s dive in, this moment of community is so powerful and rich. »