Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago this coming Tuesday, October 9, the curtain rose on opening night of Molière's L'Avare , the first play presented by the Théatre du Nouveau Monde.
The theatre was founded by a small group of theatre people, including Jean Gascon and Jean-Louis Roux, after their stay in Europe studying theatre. Since its inception, the TNM has produced and toured great works from the classic and contemporary repertoire, while promoting national creative talent.
Hundreds of actors and directors have produced works for Quebec audiences that have been milestones in our artistic history, attracting audiences of up to 123,000. These include Jeannine Sutto, Robert Gravel, Denise Boucher, Guy Hoffman, Monique Miller, Michel Tremblay, Michèle Rossignol, Gérard Poirier and Huguette Oligny, to name but a few of the people connected with TNM who have brightened up our spirits and our lives.
In the fall of 1972, the company moved to the magnificent quarters we are familiar with today. Under the masterful artistic direction of Lorraine Pintal for nearly 10 years now, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde has a fine future stretching before it. To everyone connected with the TNM, we extend the traditional theatrical wish “Break a leg”.