Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Saïa, Louis
Quebec-based playwright, screenwriter, director, and designer, born in Montreal May 25, 1950. Louis Saïa enrolled in the theatre option at Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe at the end of the 1960s, and quickly became involved in several student productions. Instead of writing essays, he wrote screenplays.
The absurdist humour in his plays and scripts was inspired by the works of filmmaker Woody Allen and playwright Eugène Ionesco, which he applied to suburban living in Quebec in the 1970s.
Louis Saïa has co-written two of the biggest hits in Quebec theatrical history: with Claude Meunier, Appelez-moi, Stéphane (which has been constantly revived at summer theatres since its creation in 1978); and Broue (1979). He also co-wrote Les Voisins (1979, with Meunier, revived at Compagnie Jean-Duceppe, 2000/2001); and Une amie d'enfance (with Louise Roy, Théâtre de la crique, 1983).
Saïa co-wrote almost half of the episodes of the sit-com La Petite vie (Radio-Canada, 1993-99), which was one of the biggest hits on Quebec television.
His writing is efficient and masterfully paced, laced with a raucous sense of humour and mind-bending wordplay.
Profile by Gaetan Charlebois
Last updated 2021-09-24
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The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia web site was originally conceived and developed in 1996 by Gaetan Charlebois—theatre critic, playwright, and actor.
