Gratien Gélinas

Biography

Gratien Gélinas was a Canadian writer, playwright, actor, director, producer and administrator who founded modern Canadian theatre and film. He created the iconic character Fridolin, a poor Montreal boy with a unique dialect that embodied the Quebec spirit of "survivance". His notable works include Tit-Coq (1948), Bousille et les Justes (1959), and Hier, les enfants dansaient (1968). A prominent figure in Canadian theatre, Gélinas was awarded an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967.