Theatre

Featuring works by playwrights from Québec, the United States and other countries, theatre at Place des Arts—in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles entertainment district—is presented thanks to several partner companies and hundreds of dedicated workers. They have worked for 60 years now to ensure one-of-a-kind shared experiences for a vast audience. Numerous theatre productions are mounted each year at PdA, delighting crowds of all ages, connoisseurs and newcomers alike.

Since 1973, Duceppe company productions have played a prominent role in Place des Arts’ extensive theatre programming. Its creations are famed for their embrace of caustic and socially relevant themes. Duceppe is a partner in conveying meaning and values, prompting us to delve into social debates and reflect on the crucial issues of our time. This PdA resident company’s subscribers are eagerly awaiting its 2024–2025 season, with performances presented mainly at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe and at Cinquième Salle.

Since 1966, major U.S. touring productions have graced our stages, bringing the Broadway experience to Montréal. The world-renowned romantic comedy Any Wednesday was one of the very first, pulling into Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for a three-night run back in the day.

By the 1970s, though, the biggest name on Place des Arts theatre marquées was that of a local legend: Michel Tremblay. Half a century later, he is by far the playwright whose works have been most often mounted on Place des Arts’ various stages. Michel Tremblay’s plays and musicals, with their deep roots in Québécois culture, have been hugely successful here over the years. Resounding classics like Les belles-sœurs, first presented in 1973, have enthralled generations of theatre-goers. Another treasure of Québec popular culture is the play Les Voisins, by comedy icon Claude Meunier. It has been presented three times at PdA.

Today, theatre at Place des Arts has evolved into a love story between creative minds and culture. It’s a story we began telling long ago, but whose best chapters are always yet to come. Among those recently written, many take an experimental, irreverent approach rather than a documentary tone. The most successful have included J’aime Hydro and Manikanetis, as well as Wycinka Holzfällen – Woodcutters by Krystian Lupa, presented as part of the 2017 Festival TransAmériques.

Many other production companies, festivals and emerging theatre practitioners are featured on our stages, such as the Festival TransAmériques (FTA), showcasing avant-garde international works every spring.