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Artists > Past Seasons >
Jean-François Gagnon
Artist (stage direction)
Has participated in
A graduate from the National Theatre School in ‘79, Jean-François Gagnon pursues
parallel careers as Actor, Fight Director and Director. During the 80’s he has mainly
worked as an actor but also participated in the writing of a dozen of play and one film
scenario. In 1981 he wrote a text that was put in music by Donald Patriquin then
directed and toured the show for Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. He also played for
the JMC, Le Diable in «L’Histoire du soldat».
He did the Character of Bhrams in a concert/recording by Radio Canada of
«Schuman-Bramhs-Schuman»
at the International Chamber Festival of la Baie des Chaleurs. He played the main
role of Mr. Jourdain in a Musical production of Molière/Lully: «Le Bourgeois
Gentilhomme» He directed, for the 2004 Montreal Baroque Festival, a mask production of
«Tabarin Gardien d’honneur» in which he also played the principal role of Tabarin. He
played at the Théâtre Denise-Pelletier in the play «Scaramouche».
He was the Gamemaster in the Toronto Consort production of «Le Veglie di Siena»
played in Toronto, Montreal, Domaine Forget in Ste-Iréné, playing also several Mask
characters of the Commedia dell’Arte: Capitano / Zanni / Pantalone. He was also the
main character —Moreau de Saint-Méry — in the 2008 Montreal Baroque production of
«Versaille Voodoo».
He tought movement and acting to singers at the McGill University Opera Studio from
1992 to 1997 where he also directed over seven operas. He now teach an acting and
movement course to the singers at the Music Faculty of l’Université de Montréal where
he also directed opera productions: «The Merry Wifes of Windsor» by O. Nicholaï,
«L’étoile» by E. Chabrier, «Les Mamelles de Tirésias» by F. Poulenc, «The Medium» by
G.C.Menotti and «The Hand of bridge» by S.Barber that all got praised by the critic.
Jean-François Gagnon has also directed three opera productions at the Music Department
of l’Université de Sherbrooke. The most important was the Canadian premier of the
«Nozze de Figaro» in the french version by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt produced with
symphonic orchestra.
He teaches also since 1993 a Commedia dell’Arte course at Concordia University where
he has directed «The Bourgeois Gentlemen» in the Fall 2008 and the creation of «The
Fickle woman» a play by Goldoni and was involved in the english translation. Other
directing includes: «Le Roi se meurt» by Ionesco, «Il Campiello» by Goldoni, «La Serva
padrona» by Pergolese, «Die Kluge» by C. Orff, «Dido and Aneas» by H. Purcell, and
recently «Cyrano de Bergerac» for the Saint-John Theatre company in New Brunswick. He
has worked on two one act opérette by Jacques Offenbach «La Demoiselle en Loterie» and
«Le 66», for the Rigoletto production company presented at the Gèsu Theatre in
Montreal.
Jean-François Gagnon is a recognised Fight Master* and member of Fight Directors
Canada. He has been teaching stage combat at the National Theater School of Canada
since 1992. He has trained in France with members of «l’Académie d’armes de France», in
England with members of «the Society of British Fight Directors», and in the United
States with members of the «Society of American Fight Directors». He has been directing
fight scenes on stage and for the screen for more then fifteen years. As such, he has
coached many actors and singers, and choregraphed major productions, among others:«Les
trois mousquetaires» théâtre Trident and Théâtre Denise Pelletier, «Good night
Desdemona, Good morning Juliet», «Romeo & Juliet» and «Les Misérables» Neptune
Theatre, «Misery» Sweet Circle Theatre, «Les septs branches de la rivière Ota» and
«Elsenor» for Robert Lepage; some Shakespeare:
«Richard III», «Hamlet», «Twelves Night», «Coriolanus», «Troilus and Cressida»,,
«Macbeth»…. also for operas, such as: «Faust». «Les contes d’Hoffman», «Roméo et
Juliette», «La grande duchesse de Gerolsteïn», other musicals:«West Side Story»,
«Jerusalem» and «I ou le domaine du possible». He was swordmaster on tv shows like «Are
you affraid of the Dark», «41/2» and «The secret adventure of Jules Verne» Other
Commedia workshop given in the past: He was invited as a teacher at the 1998
International Stage Combat Workshop, in Tucson Arizona where he also gave a Commedia
workshop and also for the Paddy Crean workshop in Banff.
He has served as consultant for company such as The Cirque du Soleil and
Ubisoft.
* the word fight meaning any physical action involving risk for the actor.
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