Writer Jean-Claude Germain championed the use of Québécois language on the stage

Jean-Claude Germain was a mainstay of Quebec theatre, literature and journalism for more than half a century. An irrepressible force and ubiquitous presence as a playwright and versatile storyteller, the bearded, pipe-puffing Mr. Germain was respected as a constant champion of the use of vernacular French in Quebec public spaces. Mr. Germain, who also contributed to Quebec society as a drama professor, media commentator, editor, historian, novelist and actor, died in Magog, Que., on April 24 at age 85.André Gagnon, literary director of the publishing house Éditions Hurtubise, described him as a “universal polymath, an intellectual explorer and cultural revolutionary” with expertise in several disciplines.