We all know La Poune, this monument of Quebec humor that has shattered many glass ceilings, paving the way for its future sisters. But it is the woman behind the icon that we are interested in with The Giantess. The Théâtre de l’Œil Ouvert paints a portrait of Rose Ouellette by exploring different aspects of her life, more or less known. An example? Her passionate love affair with her accomplice, Gertrude Bellerive.
“We all have a very precise image of Rose Ouellette: that of the older lady we saw on Télé-Métropole when she was in her sixties. But who was she before, the woman, the lover, the friend that she was? It’s more vague in our minds,” says Gabrielle Fontaine, the one who becomes Rose Ouellette on stage this summer.
The Giantess will therefore transport spectators to the beginning of the 20e century to follow, for three decades, this woman who would one day become known under the nickname La Poune. The one who was the first woman in North America to direct two theaters, the one who paved the way for generations of female comedians to come.
PIERRE-PAUL POULIN/LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL/AGENCE QMI
Truth and fiction
This journey will be punctuated by encounters with different characters, some true, others invented from scratch by the author, Geneviève Beaudet, and punctuated by around fifteen musical numbers.
“We don’t know all the details of her private life and I’m someone who likes to invent things, so some things are true and some aren’t. But the character of Gertrude Bellerive really existed. And it was important to me that it be well represented in the show, because it’s part of who Rose Ouellette was. And they had a wonderful love story,” explains Geneviève Beaudet, whom I met during rehearsals for The Giantessearlier this month.
Rose Ouellette’s sexual orientation will neither be the narrative driving force of the show nor used for promotional purposes, we are told. But the decision to approach her on stage is part of this desire to make the woman behind the public persona known.
Open minds
And if many people are still unaware of this part of Rose Ouellette’s life, it has never really been kept quiet. The comedian and his partner, in fact, did not hide to live their love behind the scenes, out of sight. In short, Rose and Gertrude were never confined to any closet.
“I am often asked how much emphasis is placed on one’s relationship with another woman; in fact, it’s very organic. It’s very natural to show that they fell in love and became great allies. It’s beautiful, it’s bright, I don’t understand why it could shock people,” says Gabrielle Fontaine.
“And if there are people who are homophobic and who come to see the show, I hope that it will allow them to realize that this kind of relationship exists, and that it is just as beautiful. And that doesn’t change anything about the talent of this woman that they, too, loved,” she adds.
Director Jade Bruneau – who also plays Rose Ouellette’s love interest on stage – agrees.
“We treat this romantic relationship the same way as if it had been between a man and a woman. And why would we want to hide this part of who Rose Ouellette was? On the contrary, we want to put it forward! It’s part of her, it’s at the heart of her development and her fulfillment,” she says.
- The Giantess is presented at the Desjardins Cultural Center in Joliette from July 11 to August 10 and from August 15 to 31 at Carré 150 in Victoriaville.
