The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde (TNM) has a new co-general and artistic director to succeed Lorraine Pintal: Geoffrey Gaquère, the current director of the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal.
Mr. Gaquère will take the reins of the theater next September after the departure of Ms. Pintal, who is bowing out after more than 30 years at the head of the Montreal institution.
“It is with gratitude and joy that I take the helm of the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde: this common good rich in an unprecedented history in Quebec,” he said in a press release.
“Together with our artists, our teams and our partners, I wish to continue to make this house a place anchored in the needs of its time.”
Originally from Belgium, Geoffrey Gaquère has worked in Quebec as an actor and director for 24 years. He trained in his home country, then at the National Theatre School of Canada.
From 2014 to 2022, he served as artistic director and co-general director of Théâtre Espace Libre. Since 2022, he has held the position of director of the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal.
In a press release, Caroline Biron, the chair of the theatre’s board of directors, said she was enthusiastic about the appointment of Mr. Gaquère, “whose arrival at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is part of an era of unprecedented evolution and change for the institution.”
“As we approach the end of the theatre’s expansion work and the opening of the new Réjean-Ducharme hall, we are pleased to be able to count on Mr. Gaquère’s recognized talents as an artist and cultural manager, who will enable the TNM to continue its momentum,” she added.
The end of the Pintal era
Lorraine Pintal announced last January that she would step down in August, after 32 years at the TNM. She stressed that the timing of her departure was opportune, as several of the theatre’s projects are being completed in 2024, including the expansion work and the restructuring of senior management.
“I will ensure a transition that I hope will be harmonious and unifying until December 2024, in the interest of the TNM and its teams,” she said.
In recent years, Ms. Pintal had faced particularly difficult years, with the pandemic, inflation and labor shortages.
She had been at the helm of the TNM since 1992, when she became the first woman to hold this position. She succeeded Jean Gascon, Jean-Louis Roux, André Pagé and Olivier Reichenbach.