Wajdi Mouawad

Wajdi Mouawad, OC is a Canadian writer, actor and director born in Lebanon in 1968. After a brief passage in France, he moved to Quebec in 1983.

Biography

He obtained his diploma from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1991.

In 1998, his creation Willy Protagoras enfermé dans les toilettes (Willy Protagoras locked up in the toilets) was voted best Montreal-based production by l'Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre.

From 2000 to 2004, he led the Théâtre de Quat'sous in Montreal. He has adapted different works for the theatre, from Don Quixote to Trainspotting.

He was awarded the Governor General's Award in Literature for drama in 2000. In 2002, the French Government bestowed upon him the title of Knight of the Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres for the collection of his works. In 2009, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as a writer, actor, stage director and playwright known internationally for the quality and scope of his theatrical creations".

He made his first attempt onto the big screen in 2004 by directing and producing the film Littoral, based on the play of the same name.

On September 1, 2007, he became the Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre's French Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

His play Incendies (Scorched) has been produced all over the world, including the United States, Austria, Germany and Australia, and the 2007 production at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto won several awards. The famed Vienna "Burgtheater", the biggest theatre in Europe, assigned Stefan Bachmann with the stage production. It subsequently received much praise from critics, winning the "Nestroy Award" in 2007.

Incendies, the film version of the play (directed by Denis Villeneuve) is Canada's official selection for the 2011 Academy Awards. Incendies opened in Canada on January 21, 2011.

Author

Theater

Published

• 1996: Alphonse (Leméac)
• 1999: Les mains d'Edwige au moment de la naissance (Leméac)
• 1999, 2009: Littoral (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)
• 2000: Pacamambo (Actes Sud-Papiers Junior)
• 2002: Rêves (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)
• 2003, 2009: Incendies (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)
• 2004: Willy Protagoras enfermé dans les toilettes (Leméac)
• 2006: Forêts (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)
• 2007: Assoiffés (coédition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)
• 2008: Le soleil ni la mort ne peuvent se regarder en face (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud)
• 2008: Seuls - Chemin, texte et peintures (Actes Sud - Léméac)
• 2009: Ciels (Actes Sud)
• 2011: Journée de noces chez les Cromagnons (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud-Papiers)

Not published

• 1992: Partie de cache-cache entre 2 tchécoslovaques au début du siècle

Radio works

• Loin des chaises
• Wilfrid
• William M.
• Le chevalier
• Dans la cathédrale
• Les trains hurlent quand on tue
• Les étrangers du bord du monde

Novels

• 2002: Visage retrouvé (coedition Leméac/Actes Sud)
• 2007: Un obus dans le cœur (Actes Sud Junior - Léméac)

Films

• 2004: Littoral directed by Wajdi Mouawad
• 2010: Incendies directed by Denis Villeneuve

Theater

Adaptations

• 2010: Un tramway d'après adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire of Tennessee Williams (directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, Théâtre de l'Odéon)

Interpretations

• 2009: Seuls texte (directing and interpreting, Festival d'Avignon)
• 2010: Les Justes of Albert Camus (directed by Stanislas Nordey, Théâtre national de Bretagne, Théâtre national de la Colline, Théâtre des Treize Vents, Théâtre National Populaire -Villeurbanne)

External links

• Wajdi Mouawad A biography
• Critical bibliography (Auteurs.contemporain.info)
• [1] Vienna Burgtheater Play Info