Micha Raoutenfeld is part of the new cohort of artists who received a grant from the Michelle-Rossignol Endowment Fund for the creation of Papeca, his solo currently on display at the Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. The queer and non-binary artist will also be part of the show’s cast The End of the Red Man, at Quat’Sous, this winter. Encounter.
A journalist forewarned is forearmed. Before the interview, we received an email from the show’s publicist to remind us “again of the importance of using the right pronouns for hey and the right terms for transidentity” from Micha Raoutenfeld.
“It’s normal, language evolves quickly. But it’s a good thing, because language helps to open doors and access other universes,” Raoutenfeld kindly tells us, when (despite our good faith), we use the wrong term during our interview. “There are nuances between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. The evolution of language makes it possible to clarify what differentiates us as human beings, because it is a complex experience, being human. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Micha Raoutenfeld, queer, non-binary artist of Slavic origin
In the world of contemporary theater, creation sometimes seems to advance faster than language. When they were studying at the National Theater School, in acting, Micha still identified as a woman and was called Charlotte. Upon its release in 2021, Charlotte became Cha, a queer transdisciplinary artist (the promotion of the show also displays this first name). Today, Micha is experiencing his transition in openness, acceptance and happiness.
In the media, trans people are often associated with the difficulty of living. In my case, it’s quite the opposite. My transition is a liberation, a fulfillment!
Micha Raoutenfeld
His double identity is part of his artistic approach, linked to the margins, deconstruction and “a questioning of dominant patterns”. “I have as much masculinity as femininity in me. I identify neither as a woman nor a man. Non-binarity is a way of seeing and experiencing the world. By deconstructing the codes, we approach gender as a spectrum,” says Micha, making a hand gesture to illustrate a rainbow.
A promise of freedom
“Non-binarity is also a promise to myself that I repeat to myself every day. Or to give myself permission to be who I am, beyond social codes… that I did NOT choose! I give others the same permission, and I leave them alone! No one is free until everyone is free,” he summarizes.
If his work is influenced by his multiple identities, his show does not really talk about transidentity. At least, not head-on. “It’s part of the plot, without being put forward. Papeça is an initiatory story that draws inspiration from myths and the intangible to explore desire. There are elements of my experience, but the proposal goes beyond my intimate experience. For me, the stage remains a place of transcendence. A collective ritual. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Micha Raoutenfeld, non-binary transdisciplinary artist
To put an end to misinformation
Papeça is part of a trilogy of initiatory stories, propelled by the body, music and words. With his creations, the performer, who also signs the text and the direction, wishes to reach out to the public, beyond the biases and prejudices about transgender people. “Right now, there is a lot of misinformation about gender identity. It’s a social debate. But a person’s existence should never be up for debate. I am a person. I exist. Why question my existence on every platform?! »
Hence the importance of the performing arts, according to them, to break down barriers and put the public in contact with diversity. “I find it revealing that the deconstruction of genres causes such a stir among people. If [la théorie des genres] provokes such strong reactions, it proves that the genre is harsh, rigid, dictatorial,” believes Raoutenfeld.
They tell us that they were influenced by the work of Nelly Arcan, read as a teenager. “I think that if Nelly Arcan were still alive today, she could have found “salvation” [un salut] in transidentity. When she talks about “the prison of femininity”, I understand very well. I endured this confinement. Until the day I freed myself from it. Otherwise, my destiny would have been the same as Nelly Arcan…”
Papeça
Text, direction and interpretation
of Micha Raoutenfeld
At the Jean-Claude Germain room
from the Today’s Theater Center Until February 10