Françoise Faucher

2010 Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Stages (formerly Theatre))

Actress, director and, broadcaster

From her stage debut in Montreal in 1951, actress, director and broadcaster Françoise Faucher has personified the dynamic vitality of Quebec theatre. A veritable living legend, she has played a central role in the development of Quebec culture and inspired an entire generation of theatre artists (particularly women) with the unquenchable passion and boundless dedication she has shown for over 60 years. On stage and on screen, she attracted—and, with remarkable energy, continues to attract—a wide and diverse audience of loyal fans.

Born in France in 1929, Ms. Faucher studied philosophy before immigrating to Canada at 21. She has appeared in numerous TV series and performed in more than 150 plays at Montreal's leading theatres; highlights include Marthe in L'Échange and Violaine in L'Annonce faite à Marie (Claudel), Sarah Bernhardt in Sarah et le cri de la langouste (Murrell), Winnie in Oh les beaux jours (Beckett), L'amante anglaise and Savannah Bay (Duras), Prospero in La Tempête (Shakespeare), Le long voyage vers la nuit (O'Neill), and La Célestine (de Rojas). As a director, her credits include Elvire Jouvet 40 (Jacques), Dialogues des carmélites (Bernanos), Un mari idéal (Wilde), Soudain l'été dernier and La Ménagerie de verre (Williams), Andromaque (Racine), and Le Misanthrope (Molière).

A gifted communicator, Ms. Faucher hosted several popular radio and television shows, notably the groundbreaking Femme d'aujourd'hui (1966-81).

Passionate about literature, she regularly gives staged readings (Colette, Yourcenar, Sagan, Duras, Claudel) and has toured extensively in Quebec, speaking on serious issues such as Alzheimer's disease, the Holocaust, violence against women, and palliative care.

Françoise Faucher is an Officer of the Order of Canada (1982), Officer of the Ordre national du Québec (1998) and Chevalier de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres de la République française (1977). Other awards and honours include Best Production (1989, for her direction of Elvire Jouvet 40) and Best Actress (1988, for her performance in Genet's Les paravents), Association des critiques de théâtre; Frigon Trophy (TV, 1953) for Maulnier's Jeanne et les juges; honorary degree from the Université de Montréal.