Compagnons de Saint-Laurent

Compagnons de Saint-Laurent is a theatre company that was founded in August 1937 at Collège de Saint-Laurent in Saint-Laurent, Quebec under the direction of Émile Legault[1] at the insistence of Roger Varin, considered to be the co-founder. Léonide Lavinge is also considered a co-founder of the company. The company dissolved in 1951.[1][2]

History

Financial support at the debut of the company was provided by Léonide (Bobby) Lavinge, the father of François Lavinge, one of the original members of the company. Although his father did not support his son's choice of profession as an actor (and disinherited him for this reason), he still provided considerable financial support of the company. Among others, he bought the property and the farm which served as a rehearsal place for the company. According to his son, the building was cold and difficult to heat in the winter and the members of the company did not like those conditions. Léonide would eventually sell the property, which was later purchased by Félix Leclerc for his home residence. The property is now a Quebec cultural heritage site.[3] At the funeral of François Lavinge in Montréal in 1989, Émilie Legault made the eulogy.

In the early history of the company, it favoured the principle of strictly religious performances, but later adopted a more national approach. The company travelled across Quebec and would give, for many people, the first theatrical experience of their lives. To do this, the group often performed in venues that did not look like rooms, such as fire stations. The company had the distinction of having brought a new cultural dimension to ensemble in Quebec, breaking up the monopoly held by Montreal until then.

The performances of the company were well received by critics and the public. The company received the trophée Bessbourough for the best theatre company in Canada, affirming the cultural vocation of the college, it had to relocate several times to larger venues to accommodate larger audiences and larger productions. The company was a part of the Collège de Saint-Laurent from 1938 until 1942, then at L'Ermitage from 1942 to 1945, then at the Church of the Gesù (Montreal) from 1945 to 1948 and finally at the Théâtre des Compagnons from 1948 to 1952.

In the more than 15 years of its existence, from 1937 to 1952, the company had more than fifty actors, many of which became well-known Quebec dramatists.

Notable actors
Taken in 1944; actors (left to right): Jean Coutu, Bertrand Gagnon, Yves Vien, Félix Leclerc, Andrée Vien, Guy Provost, Hélène Loiselle, George Groux, Lucille Cousineau, Denise Vachon, Émile Legault, and Thérèse Cadorette

Honours and recognition
  • Le Parc des Compagnons-de-Saint-Laurent was inaugurated in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal on 20 November 1996. It is situated on l'Avenue du Mont-Royal, between the streets Bordeaux and Cartier.
  • In 1997, Jean-Claude Labrecque directed the film L'Adventure des Compagnons de Saint-Laurent, a documentary about the history and impact of the company and the work of Émile Legault. The film was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and Verseau International.[16]
  • Trophée Bessborough

References
  1. "Histoire de Saint-Laurent". Ville de Montreal. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. "Dissolution de la troupe de théâtre Les Compagnons de Sauint-Laurent". Bilan du siècle. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  3. "Maison Félix-Leclerc". Culture et Communications Québec. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  4. Charlebois, Gaëtan. "Compagnons de Saint-Laurent". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  5. Bourassa, Andre. "Jean-Louis Roux". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. Carle, Alexandre. "George Groux". Les Gens du Cinéma. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  7. Soucy, Louise-Maude. "Guy Provost s'éteint à 79 ans". Le Devoir. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  8. Charlebois, Gaëtan; Nothof, Anne. "Loiselle, Hélène". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  9. Lévesque, Solange. "Loiselle, Hélène". Les Prix du Québec. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  10. "Coutu (Jean)". La Mémoire du Québec en ligne. Communications Cournoyer Inc. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  11. "Bertrand Gagnon". Star Quebec. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  12. "Guy Mauffette (1915-2005)". Ordre National du Québec. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  13. Roy, Bruno; Rioux, Christian; Ménard, Denise; Plouffe, Hélène. "Félix Leclerc". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  14. Faucher, Jean. "Un autre regard sur le théâtre". Érudit. Solange Lévesque. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  15. "Square Thérèse-Cadorette Named in Honour of Compagnons de Saint-Laurent Actress". Ville de Montréal. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  16. "L'aventure des Compagnons de Saint-Laurent [DVD] / de Jean Claude Labreque ; idée originale, Hélène Jasmin-Bélisle". Bibliothèque Famille Bleviss. Retrieved 27 June 2019.

See also
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