Richard Monette
Richard Monette |
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Richard Jean Monette OC, DHum, LLD (June 19 1944 - September 10 2008) was a Canadian actor and director, although he will be best remembered for his 14-season tenure as artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1994 to 2007.
Early Life
Monette was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Florence M. (née Tondino) and Maurice Monette.[1] He was educated at Loyola High School (Montreal) and Loyola College (now Concordia University).
Theatre Career
It was at Loyola that his acting skills were first noticed when he took top acting honours at the 1959 Inter-Varsity Drama competition.
Upon graduation, he chose to pursue an acting career, and appeared as a 19-year-old Hamlet at the Crest Theatre, Toronto. He joined the Stratford Festival Company in 1965, and played a variety of small roles. He also won a role in Soldiers at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, a production that ended up on Broadway.
In 1969, he moved to London England, and appeared in a variety of East End productions, including the original production of the notorious Oh Calcutta.
Upon his return to Canada in 1974, he took on the title role in the premiere of the English translation of Michel Tremblay's Hosanna at the Tarragon Theatre, a role that was to mark his arrival as one of Canada's great actors. During this period, he also appeared as Hamlet at the Stratford Festival, and also appeared in a number of Canadian films, including I Heard the Mermaids Singing.
His first production as director was for Taming of the Shrew at Stratford in 1978. Gradually he moved from acting to directing due to a lifelong battle with stage fright.[2]
Monette became artistic director of the Stratfrod Festival in 1994.[3][4][5]. During his tenure, he not only staged every one of Shakespeare's plays, he also introduced big-production musicals such as My Fair Lady and Anything Goes to the festival. Although critics argued that the musicals were too populist[6] , Monette erased the Festival's considerable deficit and brought in new audiences. His other legacies include an acting school and a fourth theatre.
A little over a year after his retirement, he died of a pulmonary embolism.[7]
References
- ^ Richard Monette Biography (1944-)
- ^ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0009285. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Ouzounian, Richard, Richard Monette's final bow at Stratford, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ Stratford's Monette sets retirement date, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ De Santis, Solange, Saints and sinners on stage, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Theatre/article/243253. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://www.cbc.ca/arts/theatre/story/2008/09/10/monette-dead.html. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
External links
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Please use a more specific IBDB template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Stratford Festival Website
- Canadian Encyclopedia
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