Michel Marc Bouchard
2023 Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award (Stages (formerly Theatre))
Playwright, screenwriter, librettist and teacher
Michel Marc Bouchard’s bold poetic vision is universal and timeless in its exploration of human relationships, particularly the notion of the outsider and the queer universe. His plays have been translated into two dozen languages and performed around the world; several have been adapted for film. He has curated major historical and thematic exhibitions, and teaches regularly at the National Theatre School of Canada.
Mr. Bouchard was born in 1958 in Saint-Cœur-de-Marie, near Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, and attributes his passion for theatre to that region’s strong oral tradition. He wrote his first play at age 14, and studied theatre at the University of Ottawa.
He has written more than 20 works for the stage, including
The Orphan Muses;
Down Dangerous Passes Road;
The Tale of Teeka;
The Coronation Voyage;
Heat Waves;
Tom at the Farm;
Christina, the Girl King;
The Divine, A Play for Sarah Bernhardt;
The Night Logan Woke Up; and
Kisses Deep. His play
Lilies, a coming-of-age romance between two young men, is considered a landmark in modern Canadian theatre.
He has adapted several of his plays for film:
Lilies (directed by John Greyson, 1996 Genie for Best Film);
The Tale of Teeka (Tim Southam, 1998 Gémeaux for Best Dramatic Program and Best Direction in a Dramatic Program);
Tom à la ferme (Xavier Dolan, 2013 Critics’ Choice award, Venice Film Festival); and
The Girl King (Mika Kaurismäki, 2015 People’s Choice award, Montreal World Film Festival).
Mr. Bouchard has written two opera libretti:
Les Feluettes (2016), with music by Kevin March, and
La beauté du monde (2022), with music by Julien Bilodeau.
He also wrote the scenarios for
Cité Mémoire, the world’s largest multimedia journey, which has been presented continuously in Montréal since 2016.
Michel Marc Bouchard is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec, and a Companion of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec. His numerous awards include the GGPAA National Arts Centre Award, Prix de la dramaturgie francophone SACD-Paris, Laurent McCutcheon Award for his exceptional involvement against homophobia, Gascon-Thomas Award (National Theatre School) for his contribution to theatre in Canada, and Athanase-David Award (Prix du Québec) for lifetime achievement. His name was added to the
Larousse Dictionary in 2015.