The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to present an adaptation of the exhibition Échos – André Brassard, produced and created by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) and Montreal-based creation studio Artificiel and presented at Montreal’s Grande Bibliothèque in 2014–15. A tribute to legendary stage director André Brassard, artistic director of NAC French Theatre from 1982 to 1990, the multimedia exhibition will be installed in the Theatre Foyer from April 12 to May 28, 2016. It will be open daily from 12 to 5 p.m. (except Monday, May 23) and until 9 p.m. on performance nights.

EXHIBITION ÉCHOS – ANDRÉ BRASSARD

Unparalleled stage director, tireless champion of local and international authors, and dedicated teacher, André Brassard played a central role in Quebec’s theatre community for more than 30 years. Between the premiere of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-sœurs in 1968 and the stroke (1999) that eventually sidelined his career, Brassard directed five generations of actors, from emerging talents to seasoned veterans, in some 140 productions, several of which were landmark events.

Visitors are invited to discover a chronological overview of the director’s career milestones. The period from 1965 to 1980 was marked by the success of Les Belles-sœurs, which enabled Brassard to direct a number of productions that cheerfully combined the tragic and the popular, the sacred and the profane. During the period from 1980 to 1990, the playwright subscribed to the dual principle of theatre that did not hesitate to reveal its artifices, and stage design that exerted pressure on the actor. During the decade from 1990 to 2000, Brassard refocused his practice on directing, his original passion. The exhibition is enhanced by two multimedia stations that reflect the words and works of André Brassard. Through 24 vignettes, visitors can listen to comments by artists and artisans recorded specifically for the occasion, including Michel Tremblay, Michel Marc Bouchard, Élise Guilbeault, Michèle Rossignol and Rita Lafontaine.

In the centre of the exhibition area, the Scrabble d’André display uses the famous game to reveal Brassard’s favourite words. Brassard recorded an audio comment for each of the terms shown.

The exhibition also showcases the theatre heritage preserved by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). In particular, the visual component of Échos was designed using photos from the archival collections of Daniel Kieffer, the Comédie Canadienne, the Théâtre populaire du Québec, the Théâtre du Rideau Vert and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, with additional material from the rich archives of the National Arts Centre.

EXHIBITION CONCEPT AND DESIGN

Échos – André Brassard is coproduced by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), based on an original concept by Artificiel creation studio, which is codirected by Jimmy Lakatos. The exhibition is curated by Sylvain Schryburt, professor in the University of Ottawa Theatre Department and a specialist in Quebec theatre, the history of directing, and theatre archives. The original installation Scrabble d’André – Abécédaire de Brassard was designed by playwright Olivier Choinière, author of many works including Ennemi public, Chante avec moi and Bienvenue à… (une ville dont vous êtes le touriste), and recipient of the 2014 Siminovitch Prize. The graphic design is by Uniform.
 

TEN THINGS ABOUT ANDRÉ BRASSARD

 

1946: Born in Montreal
1968: Opening of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-sœurs
1975: Opening of Shakespeare’s La Nuit des rois (Twelfth Night)
1982–90: Artistic director, National Arts Centre French Theatre
1984: Opening of Michel Tremblay’s Albertine, en cinq temps (Albertine, in Five Times)
1987: Opening of Jean Genet’s Les Paravents (The Screens)
1987: Opening of Michel Marc Bouchard’s Les Feluettes ou La Répétition d’un drame romantique (Lilies)
1992: Opening of Samuel Beckett’s En attendant Godot (Waiting for Godot)
1992–2000: Director of Acting and Playwriting programs, French section, National Theatre School of Canada
1999: Suffered a stroke

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Carl Martin
Senior Advisor, Communications
National Arts Centre
613-947-7000, ext. 560