Make memory shine 

As children, Joey and Michel used to stage themselves in shows that they would present to their family and friends. Difficult, otherwise, to display their true colors in the working-class Quebec of the 60s and 70s where they grew up. To escape this harsh reality, Michel and his brother Joey found their way into the art scene. Joey embarked on a busy acting career in Vancouver, while Michel shone on the Montréal drag scene. Then came the ultimate liberation: Michel would become Michelle, the woman she had always been, deep down … until the day when external forces overruled her true identity. Is it possible to live fully when you don’t fit the roles society imposes on you? 

This first autobiographical solo by actor Joey Lespérance paints a complex and nuanced portrait of a marginal and courageous existence. Directed by Esther Duquette, this powerful statement brings to life the lost dream of Joey’s “bro-sister” Michel(le), who always wanted to be in theatre. May their memory shine on our stage to eclipse the injustice.