Description

GIFTED PLAYWRIGHT JEAN-ROCK GAUDREAULT is in love with the Saguenay. He is proud of his francophone roots and has more yet to say about them.

Une Maison face au nord (A House Facing North) pays homage to the Saguenay, its mystic nature, and to those who continue to go forward, day after day.

Henri and Anne-Marie Simard have raised three children. While taking stock of his life, several events force Henri to reconsider his deepest beliefs: the heritage that he has made and the country he has dreamt of mercilessly cease to make sense.

Seeing their country and family change before their eyes, Henri and his wife, played by Guy Mignault and Louisette Dussault, discover new horizons.

Co-produced in 2009 by Théâtre français de Toronto, Théâtre du Tandem, and Théâtre La Rubrique, the show has already played more than a hundred times, from Vancouver to Caraquet! After an impressive pan-Canadian tour, it is to our great delight that Une Maison face au nord returns to Toronto for a final bow.

Biographies

• The Playwright and the Director

• The actors

• The conceptors

Biographies

Playwright

Jean-Rock Gaudreault

Born in Jonquière in 1972 and receiving a degree in playwriting from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1993, Jean-Rock Gaudreault has since written numerous works, as much for adults as for young audiences. From La Raccourcie (1995, for adults) to La Migration des oiseaux invisibles (2008, young audiences), to Deux pas vers les étoiles(2001, young audiences), Pour ceux qui croient que la terre est ronde (2004, young audiences), and Une histoire dont le héros est un chameau et dont le sujet est la vie (2005, young audiences), his twelve scripts for the theatre have been produced by different companies across Québec and France, and have even toured around the world. Armed with his numerous Masque nominations from the Académie québécoise du théâtre and several awards for his work as a playwright, he scooped the Governor General’s Award for drama with Deux pas vers les étoiles in 2003. Several of his scripts have been published by Éditions Lansman or Dramaturges Éditeurs, some of which have been translated into English, Norwegian, and Japanese. His magnificent script Une Maison face au nord has just been performed at Théâtre La Rubrique and will tour to Théâtre du Tandem in Abitibi, Québec, after its run at Théâtre français de Toronto.

Director

Jacinthe Potvin

A native of Saguenay, actress, director, and artistic director of the company Mathieu, François et les autres..., Jacinthe Potvin played the character of Madeleine in the serial drama 4 et demi, which many will remember. But, since 1975 she has devoted herself to theatre, her great passion, beginning with Théâtre de Carton, one of the most important groups creating in the 1970s and 80s. Co-artistic director of the Festival Les Coups de Théâtre and assistant director of Maison Théâtre for some years, she began a career as director with Le Pont de pierres et la peau d’images (Daniel Danis) in 1996. In 1999, following in the success of her direction of the Jean-Rock Gaudreault piece, Mathieu trop court, François trop long (1998), she founded her own theatre company for children, Mathieu, François et les autres..., named after the play, which enjoyed more than 200 performances in Québec and France, and an English version created in New York. Her participation as director of Une Maison face au nord marks her fifth collaboration with author Jean-Rock Gaudreault.

The actors

Anne-Marie Simard

Louisette Dussault

Since leaving the National Theatre School, Louisette has toured across Canada and has played at most of the professional theatre companies in Québec. While numerous Québécois know her from La Souris Verte, she has also made her mark on television with Marylinand Les Super Mamies. Although known for her film work, she has dedicated herself principally to the creation of a Québécois theatrical repertoire. Cofounder of Petits Enfants de Chénier (1969-1972), she was part of the first public reading of Les Belles-Sœurs, as well Michel Tremblay’s Lysistrata (1969), Demain matin, Montréal m’attend (1970), and Mistero Buffo (by Dario Fo, translated by Michel Tremblay, 1974). A member of the feminist collective Nef des sorcières (1976), she was a cast member of the controversial production Les fées ont soif (1978). As well as being an actress and director, she wears hat of author, and shone with her solo show Moman (1979-1983), which earned her the Chouchou(“Darling”) award at the Festival de Nancy (France, 1980) and tied for second place at the Festival de Sitges (Spain, 1982). She plays an active role with the Conseil québécois du theatre, the provincial theatre council, and the International Commission of Francophone Theatre. She has received numerous accolades for her commitment to arts and culture, including the Gascon-Thomas Award (National Theatre School of Canada, 1995), the Victor Morin Award for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society, and the badge of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres de France from the French Republic’s Ministry of Culture (Paris, 2003).

Henri Simard

Guy Mignault

TfT’s Artistic Director since 1997, Guy is a multi-talented artist. At the helm of TfT, he is a performer whose comic talent is much appreciated by theatre and television lovers, and is also a director and playwright. Recently, he has been seen on the TFO series Francoeur and Météo +. On stage at TfT, Guy has played the parts of Josaphat-le-violon under his own direction in Michel Tremblay’s Bonbons assortis; Harpagon in the brilliant production de L’Avare, directed by Jean-Stéphane Roy; and the hilarious Monsieur Jourdain in Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. When not performing his numerous roles at TfT, Guy fulfills his dream of creating musical productions: C’était un p’tit Bonheur, which received Dora for Best Musical Production in 1998; La, la la, mine de rien; Autour de Kurt Weill; and Et si on chantait… (2007). Finally, he is also the author of Bonjour, Monsieur de La Fontaine, a production for young audiences which toured Ontario for three consecutive years and was seen by 27,000 schoolchildren.

Stéphane

Éric Chalifour

A graduate of the University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Éric has already been immersed in the theatre world for 15 years; he works as an actor, director, and designer. Additionally, since 2006 he has occupied the post of artistic director of ManiganSes, Festival international des arts de la marionnette (an international puppetry festival). He has been seen in, among others, Le Déluge après, Pierre et Marie… et le Démon and Toilette de soirée (Théâtre La Rubrique); Le Malade imaginaire, Onan, and Le Misanthrope (Les Têtes Heureuses); Fin de partie (Théâtre 100 Masques); Mon Isménie (Théâtre de la Suggestion); and Georges Dandin (Troupe du Jour, Saskatchewan). As well, he has participated in the creation of the pieces Du Bec et des ongles, Lifting, and Kapos-B12730 (Théâtre CRI); and Une Surprise pour Velaa and Sophie dans la neige (Les Amis de Chiffon). He has also acted in some productions of the Société d’Art lyrique du Royaume, including La Chauve-Souris and La Périchole. As a director, he has worked on Le Festin (Théâtre La Rubrique); Un violon sur le toit, Miss Saïgon, and Les Pirates de Penzance (Société d’Art lyrique du Royaume); Suor Angelicaand Les Mousquetaires au couvent (with students from the Collège d’Alma); and La Serva Amorosa(Théâtre 100 Masques). Finally, he has set up, for the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, the concept for Musifête, with the Marcheur de rêves, for the 2003 benefit evening of Hansel et Gretel.

Henriquez

Alexandre Dubois

Since graduating from Collège Lionel-Groulx’s acting program in 2007, Alexandre Dubois’ career has move into several disciplines. His film credits include Polytechnique and Le Banquet, among others. He has also appeared on the television series CA 3 and Sophie Paquin 2. In addition to appearing in various dance productions, he has walked the planks as Polonious in Hamlet (Théâtre de l’Utopie) and with the teams of Pour ceux qui croient que la terre est ronde (Mathieu, François et les autres…) and Comme vous avez changé (Théâtre inédit). His appearance in Une Maison face au Nord marks his first collaboration with Théâtre français de Toronto.

Larry

A.-J. Henderson

Coming from the National Theatre School of Canada (English Acting Section), A.-J. has worked as an actor, stage director, and a teacher. He also works regularly in recording studios dubbing and has lent his voice to characters in Little Flying Bears, Ovide Video, Maya the Bee et Robinson Sucroe, to name only a few. A professor at the University of Ottawa, Concordia University, and the National Theatre School, he has also taught voice and speech for 24 years at the École de théâtre du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe. In theatre, he has played, among others, at the National Arts centre in Ottawa, the Globe Theatre (Regina), the Saidye Bronfman Centre, and the company Land of the Young, while racking up performances in different film and television projects. He has also directed three video games for the company Microids (bought by Ubi-Soft), and has played several roles for Ubi-Soft.

Sonia

Sara Simard

An artist with multiple interests, Sara easily combines the roles of actress, author, director, stage designer, and graphic designer. She has been seen on stage in the pieces Le Bordel (Les Diaphanes), presented in Québec City; L’Espace entre Nous, Le Désir; and Entre-Deux(Théâtre La Rubrique). After having made several notable forays into directing and stage design, including one into dance with the project L’Envers du décor (Troupe Zusammen), in 2004 she won the Prix d’écriture dramatiquefrom the Festival du Jamais Lu with her script No et Bennie.

The conceptors

Assistant director and production director

Catherine Sasseville

With a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Québec in Chicoutimi (UQAC), Catherine has collaborated as a designer for such productions as Par la fenêtre, la forêt(L’eau du bain); Les Soirées du Grand Écart (Théâtre 100 Masques); Job; Les Sorcières de Salem,and l’Impromptu de l’Alma (Petit théâtre de l’UQAC). In film, as assistant art director, she has worked on Jeu d’esprit (Alexandre Smia), Péché originel (Manon Poudoulec), and Le Film de sa vie (Julien Lahmi). She was the stage manager for the theatrical productions La Fabuleuse histoire d’un royaume by Ghislain Bouchard, Marciel Hallucine (Hollo Company), as well as for special events such as the Montréal Jazz Festival and Le Bal d’une nuit d’été (Orchestre symphonique de Montréal).

Stage management

Michel Côté

Technical director of the theatre Salle Pierrette-Gaudreaul, he has for several years collaborated with Théâtre La Rubrique as sound designer, sound technician, and/or stage manager.  His sound design credits include La Nuit où il s’est mis à chanter, Le Désir, Jacinthe Rioux, 609 Saint-Gabriel, Pierre et Marie… et le Démon, Toilette de soirée, Le Festin, Entre-Deux, Le Déluge après, and L’Espace entre nous, all produced by La Rubrique.

Original sound and music

Catherine Gadouas

Composer, choral director, coach, researcher, professor of choral singing, and musical director of the National Theatre School of Canada, Catherine has since 1981 written more than 100 creations of original music and sound design for various Montréal stages, with, among others, the directors Pierre Bernard, André Brassard, Yves Desgagnés, Françoise Faucher, Denise Guilbeault, Lorraine Pintal, Claude Poissant, and Jean-Pierre Ronfard. For television, she composed the music for the series Montréal P.Q. (Victor Lévy-Beaulieu) and Sous le signe du lion(Françoise Loranger), and has written the music for several films. In film, her music can be heard in Roméo et Julietteand in Idole instantanée by director Yves Desgagnés, and in the short film Now That We Know by Sébastien Girard.

Costumes

Yasmina Giguère

With a degree in stage design from the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec, Yasmina has designed and produced a good number of productions since leaving school, particularly for Théâtre des Fonds de Tiroirs. She has worked in all aspects of visual creation: sets, costumes, props, lighting, makeup, and posters. Working under director Frédéric Dubois, she designed the costumes for several Théâtre de la Bordée productions, including En pièces détachées by Michel Tremblay, and the Théâtre du Trident production Ha ha!... by Réjean Ducharme. Fuelled by her nomination for the Prix d’Excellence des Arts et de la Culture de Québec(2005), for the design of 75 costumes for the epic piece Vie et mort du roi boiteuxby Jean-Pierre Ronfard, she furthered her career by working side by side with Robert Lepage, designing the costumes for The Busker’s Opera, 1984, and Lipsynch. More recently, she has designed the costumes for the production La Cantatrice chauve followed by La Leçon by Eugène Ionesco, produced by Théâtre des Fonds de Tiroirs de Québec and for which she was again nominated for the Prix d’Excellence des Arts et de la Culture de Québec, as well as the musical comedy Les Misérables, presented at the Capitole de Québec as part of the city’s 400th anniversary festivities.

Scenography

Serge Lapierre

A designer of sets, costumes, props, and puppets, Serge has been collaborating with Théâtre La Rubrique since 1993 and has been its technical director since 2000. In 16 years, he has created more than 30 designs, (costumes and /or props and sets) for 22 productions. He has designed, among others, the costumes for Les Feluettes (1993) and Les Sept jours de Simon Labrosse (1996), the sets, costumes, and props for Laguna Beach (1998), the two productions of Cabaret des nuits blanches and L’Espace entre nous (2008), as well as the sets and props for Celle-là (2001), Le Désir(2003), Le Festin (2006), and Je ne pensais pas que ce serait sucré (2007). He has also worked with Schème Danse, Théâtre Les Amis de Chiffon, and ManiganSes, an international puppetry festival.

Lighting design

Lyne Rioux

Receiving a degree in cinema studies from the University of Montréal in 1992, Lyne is a much-appreciated professional in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue performing arts world. She has been a part of the Théâtre du Tandem team for ten years, where she fulfills in turn the roles of lighting designer, stage manager, assistant director, production director, tour director, and technical director. A member of the Théâtre du Cuivre stage team since 1998, she is also a house technician for the theatre and for the multiuse hall at the Abitibi-Témiscamingue CEGEP in Rouyn-Noranda.

Photos

Video

Press kits

• Press kit — A House Facing North

Critiques

A House Facing North — running November 24-27, 2011

"Guy Mignault brought Henri to life for me. I felt as if I knew him. The anger, the humour, the fatigue, the confusion, the warm heart, this was a fully formed man. I absolutely loved him." Read the article.
Sam MOONEY, Mooney on Theatre

"The best in theatre, 2000-09: Jean-Rock Gaudreault's wise and moving parable about cultural identity in an age of globalization." Read the article.
Christopher HOILE, EyeWeekly - now The Grid

 “A privilege for the viewer. Everything is convincing, steady, at times funny, at times moving. A script superbly handled by a cast impeccable in their game. A magic moment: the strength of the play and the beauty of the words stay with us for a long time. Definitely go see it.” Read the article (in French)
Christiane LAFORGE, Le Quotidien

"Gaudreault is a winner of the Governor-General's Award for Literature, and this play, which translates as A North-Facing House, is filled with his trademark humour and poignancy." Read the article
Paula CITRON, Classical 96

“Guy Mignault gives an exceptional performance, Louisette Dussault sparkles. I had a wonderful time.”
Caroline DUCHESNE, Rock-Détente

“A beautiful piece to discover. It’s worth seeing.”
Catherine GAUDREAULT, Énergie

“Wonderful performances, a really effective stage design – I really loved it.”
Philippe BELLEY, CBJ Première Chaîne de Radio-Canada

“The lines are delicious.  It’s well put together, simple, sensitive, intelligent, funny, profound. It’s a marvellous pieces performed by very talented actors. Bravo!”
Annick BILODEAU, CKAJ

The Blog