Retour sur la vie théâtrale de Guy Michaud : homosexualité, sida et voix marginalisées sur les planches fransaskoises

Abstract

This article presents the theatrical career of Guy Michaud, playwright, actor, and director. Working in two languages in a province that is primarily Anglophone, Michaud’s work is situated at the intersection of two minority groups in Saskatchewan: the gay community and the Francophone community. Michaud’s bilingual career in Saskatchewan coincided with the emergence of AIDs theatre, which redefined dominant ideologies regarding homosexuality. With compassion and care, Michaud created characters who gave a human face to the AIDs tragedy and called into question the anglophone and heteronormative hegemony in Saskatchewan. By examining Michaud’s writing and conducting a research interview with him, the current study offers a biographical portrait of this theatre artist followed by an in-depth exploration of the topics found in his work: AIDs and its associated grief, homosexuality, and alienated youth.