montreal’s theater community celebrated its achievements Monday evening as teh Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre (AQCT) announced the winners of its annual Critics’ Awards. Rébecca Déraspe’s play Janette,directed by Jean-Simon traversy,took home the top prize for Best Play of the 2024-2025 season during a ceremony at the Théâtre Prospero. The awards recognized excellence across eight categories, highlighting both established and emerging talent in the city’s vibrant English and French-language theatre scenes.
Rébecca Déraspe’s play Janette, directed by Jean-Simon Traversy at Duceppe, has been named Best Play of the 2024-2025 season by the Montreal section of the Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre (AQCT), it was announced Monday evening.
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The AQCT praised Janette as “a unifying show that highlights the history of women over the last century,” citing its “grand and warm” set design, a text of “exceptional skill and sensitivity,” and a “stunning” performance by Guylaine Tremblay, who portrayed Janette Bertrand “without a hint of caricature.”
Other finalists in the category included a theatrical adaptation of La femme qui fuit, by Sarah Berthiaume based on the novel by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (TNM, directed by Alexia Bürger), and Tout ça by Alistair McDowall, translated by Fanny Britt and directed by Louis-Karl Tremblay (Quat’Sous).
A total of eight awards were presented by the AQCT during a brief ceremony held at the Théâtre Prospero.
Éric Noël received the award for Best Original Text for Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés (Prospero). Geneviève Labelle and Mélodie Noël Rousseau won for Best Direction for Moi, Jeanne (Espace GO). The show De glace (Prospero) took home the prize for Best Set Design, a collaboration between Karine Galarneau, Nancy Bussières, Thomas Sinou, and Guillaume Saindon, under the direction of Anne-Marie Ouellette.
PHOTO FRÉDÉRIQUE MÉNARD-AUBIN, FOURNIE PAR LE THÉÂTRE DE QUAT’SOUS
Evelyne Rompré in the solo show Tout ça
Evelyne Rompré was awarded the prize for Best Female Performance for her solo show, Tout ça, by Alistair McDowall, while Gabriel Szabo received the corresponding award for Best Male Performance for his role in Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés, by Éric Noël.
Two final awards concluded the ceremony. Magali Chouinard won Best Young Audience Show for her play Âmes sœurs, which she also directed. And Best Show Created Outside of Quebec was awarded to Édouard Louis for his play Histoire de la violence, directed by Thomas Ostermeier from the Schaubühne of Berlin.
