Maryline Chery wins Gratien-Gélinas prize for drama debut MENAJ

Montreal playwright Maryline Chery has won the Gratien-Gélinas Prize for the best text written by an emerging author, taking home $10,000 and up to $10,000 more in development support.

Chery's winning play, MENAJ, centres on the wedding preparations of Jonas in Montreal, with his aunt Tatie Jo taking charge. The drama unfolds through the lens of a Haitian family navigating competing tensions — cousins who haven't spoken in years, cancelled caterers, and the careful balance between humour and discomfort as the wedding day approaches.

The jury, composed of playwrights Chloé Gagné Dion and Mishka Lavigne alongside actor Sébastien Rajotte, praised the "force" of Chery's writing. "The pièce finds these moments précieux where the spécifique becomes universel," the jury said in a statement. "Far from clichés, each character carries a singular voice."

Chery, who works as both a comedian and improviser, now has a development pathway toward a first public staging. The prize ceremony took place Monday at the Maison de la culture du Plateau-Mont-Royal, with Mitsou Gélinas — granddaughter of the prize's namesake — present to announce the winner. Two other finalists, Mathieu Renaud and Alice Tixidre, each received $1,000 honourable mentions for their submissions.