Jean-François Quesnel: motivated by a passion for theatre
By Pierre Perreault
When Jean-François Quesnel founded the troupe Ensemble – collectif théâtral LGBT in 2018, he was pursuing a taste for the performing arts that had inspired him since childhood, growing up in an artistic family. Today, with three productions to its name, the initially amateur troupe has evolved into Les productions Jean-François Quesnel, a personal venture devoted to producing professional-calibre theatre.
He describes it as a queer+ and ally-inclusive company whose mission is to bring together people from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for theatre. “We are counting on audiences’ open-mindedness to bring people together around difference and diversity,” he explains.
The troupe’s latest production, Michel Tremblay’s Hosanna, took it to a higher level, thanks to seasoned actors and a production that the playwright himself praised after attending a performance at the Comédie de Montréal in spring 2021.
“At first, I produced and acted in the plays, while professionals directed them. For Hosanna, I took the gamble of bringing together my good ideas and my motivation to direct this theatrical masterpiece, first staged in 1973,” says Quesnel.
The COVID-19 pandemic had seriously disrupted another play scheduled for 2021. After two postponements and for several reasons, the troupe had to abandon that large-cast project and move on, despite the time and energy invested in preparing it. That was when Hosanna entered the picture.
“It was my mother, the painter Dolores Desbiens, who steered me toward this play. I was lying in a hammock by the water in Longueuil in early summer 2021, wondering what I could do to revive the troupe, when she suggested taking on Tremblay. There is little LGBTQ+-themed theatre, so it became interesting for us,” Jean-François explains.
Hosanna resonates with members of the community in part because it depicts a toxic relationship that still happens today. Tremblay’s way of presenting and exploring it makes the play all the more compelling to theatre lovers and audiences. Once the performance rights had been secured, Michel Tremblay was invited to a performance and immediately accepted. “It would be a lie to say it did not cause me great stress. But seeing his immediate reaction after the performance, his emotion and his respect, was a gift beyond words and an enormous relief, both for the entire troupe and for me. It took the project into another dimension. Mr. Tremblay showed his support and interest even after attending,” says Quesnel.
Michel Tremblay with the 2021 cast and crew of Hosanna
Photo: Martine Poulin
By billing Marc-André Leclair (the famous Tracy Trash from Cabaret Mado) alongside a talented actor for the role of Cuirette, one could expect an explosive mix. It drew large crowds for the eight or so performances last fall. The play will tour with a new actor, Florent Deschênes, as Cuirette, to Lanaudière, to Val d’Or for Pride, to Lévis, and back to Montréal in August as part of the Festival Fierté Montréal.
The “Tremblay” effect will continue in 2022–23 as Jean-François Quesnel prepares to stage and produce “La Duchesse de Langeais”, with Luc Arsenault in the lead role. One should expect a recreated and reimagined version of the duchess, far removed from the one imposed by the late actor Claude Gay, who portrayed her in André Brassard’s 1974 film “Il était une fois dans l’est”. The project is now entering its creation and planning phase, before rehearsals begin.
What else drives and excites Jean-François Quesnel? He recently became casting director for two Québec film productions. First, Sophie Dupuis’s Drag, currently wrapping up filming, in which Marc-André Leclair has a key role. More than 200 members of the LGBT community were auditioned for this production. He then served as casting director for the film “Pour ceux qui errent seuls dans le noir”, which is expected to begin production later this year.
It was chance that led him to casting. “Sophie Dupuis, the director of Drag, came to see Hosanna. She then wrote to me about her upcoming project. My experience in directing actors and staging proved valuable in casting the identified roles for this shoot. As a passionate, structured, and well-organized professional, I could confidently take on this new experience,” concludes Jean-François.
Working with actors who will be able to live the projects, not just perform them, and above all touching people: that is the very essence of what drives Jean-François Quesnel’s company. Developing a casting director role for film is also in his plans. With film shoots constantly increasing in Montréal and producers increasingly wanting to work with local resources, it is a safe bet that this will happen.
More recently, Ensemble has presented other productions, including Un coeur normal (2023), Michel Tremblay’s Les anciennes odeurs (2024), Michel-Marc Bouchard’s Tom à la ferme (2024), Bent – Le triangle rose (2025) and Souvenirs de Brokeback Mountain (2025), as well as a Québec tour of its revival of Hosanna in 2023–24.
In spring 2026, Michel Tremblay returned to the programme with La Maison suspendue, a play less familiar to the general public but every bit as rich in interesting characters and plotlines. It is said to be his most significant work, presenting scenes from three eras and three generations in Tremblay’s world: 1910, 1950 and 1990. All three May 2026 performances were sold out two months in advance.
Photo credit JF Quesnel: Benjamin Allain-Vaillant