Playwright, conceptualizer, set designer and director, Claude Guilmain is cofounder of le Théâtre La Tangente, compagnie de creation of Toronto and was its artistic director for 13 years (1994 to 2007). Multifaceted artist, Claude Guilmain combines several artistic disciplines for each of his new works. His professional experience includes innovative set design, special effects props, lighting, technical direction, production management, directing and film making, all of which give each of his creations its particular characteristics: production qualities are always surprisingly high given the limited resources. He enjoys pushing the limits of his imagination and ingenuity.

General manager and production manager for the past 15 years  at le Théâtre la Tangente, Claude Guilmain is also author in residence.  For Le Théâtre la Tangente, he wrote and directed L’Égoïste (1997),  La Passagère (2001) and Requiem pour un trompettiste (2005). Le Théâtre du Trillium’s production of Petits crimes conjugaux, directed by Claude Guilmain was nominated for a Masque de la production franco-canadienne(2005). L’Égoïste and La Passagère were published at Prise de Parole, Requiem pour un trompettiste and the poetic narrative Comment on dit ça, « t’es mort », en anglais ? at les Éditions L’Interligne.

Claude Guilmain has directed four documentaries for l'Office national du film du Canada : Portrait d’un parfait inconnu (2006), Entre les lignes (2008), La Sentinelle (2010) et Le 22e Régiment en Afghanistan (2011) and he is presently working on a documentary produced by l’ONF celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Royal 22nd Regiment.

He is the recipient of Théâtre-Action’s Prix d’excellence artistique 2012 for the set design and production management of L’Implorante.

Trained at le Conservatoire de Musique et d’Art dramatique du Québec à Hull and at Ottawa University, Louise has a talent for combining various disciplines. She has played more than fifty roles, directed eight readings and five productions. We have seen her in numerous productions for the Théâtre français du Centre national des Artsin Ottawa, Montréal and in Quebec. She has worked with renowned directors such as Denis Marleau, André Brassard, Denise Filiatrault, Kelly Robinson and Diana Leblanc.

Her adaptation and direction of Patrice Desbiens, Les Cascadeurs de l’amour won the first Masque de la Production franco-canadienne in 2000. She adapted and directed Claude Guilmain’s epic poem Comment on dit ça « t’es mort » en anglais?(2009)and shared with him the development and direction of  L’Implorante (2011). For le Théâtre la Tangente,she also directed Requiem pour un trompettiste (2012), Parasites au bloc (2003)as well as produced and participated in Soirée Vian, De Rome à Berlin, Tour de Chant -Tour de Terre, Soirée Prévert and Soirée Vinyle.

Artistic Director of Le Théâtre la Tangente since 2007, Louise Naubertis the recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s John Hirsch Director’s award (2012).

Sylvie Bouchard is originally from Montréal and began her training there before moving to Toronto in 1983, to study at the School of The Toronto Dance Theatre. She subsequently joined The Toronto Dance Theatre in 1985 and performed nationally and internationally with them for 5 years. Sylvie has also performed with Kaeja d'Dance, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers and Dancemakers and continues to work for many independent choreographers including Susie Burpee, Roger Sinha, Denise Fujiwara and Sashar Zarif. She was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore award for best performance for her solo Cassiopeia, which premiered at the DuMaurier Theatre in 1999.

In 1997, Sylvie Bouchard formed the company CORPUS with artistic partner David Danzon. Until 2008, she co-created and performed in 8 works through CORPUS, touring internationally. She also co-choreographed and starred in the popular children’s TV Series Four-Square on Treehouse TV.

In 1993, Bouchard created Dusk Dances, a festival that presents dance in public parks. Dusk Dances grew under the artistic direction of both Bouchard and Danzon and through the Company CORPUS, until Bouchard was appointed sole festival director in 2008. Ms. Bouchard is the recipient of the 2009 KM Hunter Award for dance, and is Artistic Director of BoucharDanse, a Company that serves as an umbrella for Ms. Bouchard’s artistic endeavors.

Involved in the dance and theatre scenes for over a dozen years, Guillaume alternately works as a stage technician, stage manager, technical manager and production manager, both during production creation and when on tour, but his main focus is lighting design. He has been a member of the creative teams of several companies, such as the Théâtre La Catapulte, the Cie Vox Théâtre, the Théâtre de la Vieille 17, the National Arts Centre’s Théâtre Français, the Théâtre la Tangente, and the Théâtre du Nouvel Ontario.

Moreover, he traveled to Rwanda in October of 2009 to work as the stage manager for Goodness, a production of Toronto’s Volcano Theatre and he occasionally works with José Navas/Compagnie Flak, as director/stage manager. He was given an excellence award in 2007 by the Fondation pour l’avancement du théâtre francophone au Canada, and was also given the Lighting Design of the Year award at Ottawa’s Les Prix Rideau Awards. For the Théâtre la Tangente, Guillaume designed the lighting for Requiem pour un trompettiste, Comment on dit ça « t’es mort » en anglais ? and L’Implorante.

Duncan Appleton has been working professionally in theatre for over 20 years. As a designer, manager and technician, he has worked in several cities in Canada, and onboard Celebrity Cruise Ships.

Most recently, Duncan has been pursuing the rapidly developing art of interactive video and multi-media, combining his passions for theatre, photography, and computer technology. Duncan has been the Technical Coordinator at Theatre Glendon (York University) since he moved to Toronto in 1999, where he also teaches in Glendon College’s Drama Studies Program. Previous design credits include work for The Centaur Theatre, Repercussion Theatre, McGill University, and the National Theatre School (all in Montreal), the Banff Arts Centre, and of course, Theatre Glendon.

For La Tangente, Duncan collaborated with Claude Guilmain and Louise Naubert to create the scenography for “Comment on dit ça “t’es mort” en anglais?” and then “L’Implorante” (produced in collaboration with BoucharDanse), for which they jointly won the 2011 Théâtre Action - Prix d’excellence artistique arrière scène.

Claude has been composing and creating soundscapes for theatre since 1974. He has designed more than fifty for the main theatre companies of the Ottawa-Gatineau region (Théâtre de l’Ile, Théâtre La Catapulte, National Arts Centre’s Théâtre Français, Théâtre des Lutins, Théâtre Jeunesse en tête, Théâtre du Trillium), and of the Toronto region (le Théâtre La Tangente, Théâtre Français de Toronto, Press Theatre). He has also composed musical scores for Radio-Canada dramas and NFB documentaries.

He studied at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Hull and in the Music Department of the University of Ottawa, taking courses in voice, guitar, music composition and arrangement. Claude regularly takes part in productions of the Théâtre La Tangente and either he or his music appeared in the plays Une enfance à la ville, L’Égoïste, Soirée Prévert, Tour de chant, tour de terre, La Passagère, De Rome à Berlin, Requiem pour un trompettiste, Comment on dit ça « t’es mort » en anglais ? andL’implorante.

Aurélien is a freelance photographer based in Toronto. Trained as a cameraman, he then joined the School of Photography in Vevey (Switzerland) before coming to study international relations at York University. His first collaboration with Théâtre la Tangente was with L’Implorante where he filled several different roles within the company.

Mikael Lavogiez is a web designer, photographer and videographer. A native of Strasbourg, France, he completed a degree in geography, but soon changed course and decided to invest his passion for photography and design within the arts and culture sector.

It was in Brussels in 2001 that Mikael met Pierre Diependaele and Louis Ziegler, artistic directors of Theatre du Marché aux Grains. With the group, Mikael worked as a technician and also created videographic imagery for such productions as Troilus et Cressida, Cassandre and Le Jour des Meurtres dans l’histoire d’Hamlet. He also delved into audiovisual production and created the association Procreaction, dedicated to recording and editing concerts and plays, as well as producing documentaries and short films.

After multiple trips to Asia, the USA and Europe, Mikael decided to continue his artistic adventure in Canada. In 2008, he packed his bags and moved to Toronto where he quickly connected with local artists, choreographers and directors. After undertaking many roles within several artistic companies in Toronto, he created his own company in 2009 offering graphic design, web-design and public relations services.