Playwright and writer Normand Chaurette died on Wednesday at the age of 68.
The news was first reported by Radio-Canada, which was confirmed by Goodwin Agency, which represented the artist.
Born in Montreal in 1954, Normand Chaurette is best known for his plays written in the 1990s and 2000s, including Le Passage de l’Indiana and Le Petit Kochël, both of which won the Governor General’s Literature Prize.
A great admirer of the works of William Shakespeare, Mr Chaurette has also translated nearly a dozen plays by the famous English playwright, including the classic Romeo and Juliet.
Normand Chaurette also wrote the screenplay for the Quebec cinema adaptation of this play, directed by Yves Desgagnés in 2006. The film presented a modern take on this love story, with Roméo as the son of Réal Lamontagne, leader of a biker clan, while Juliette takes on the traits of the only daughter of judge Paul Véronneau, who is trying to convict the thug.
The fascination with Shakespeare’s work that Normand Chaurette maintained was also reflected in the writing of Les Reines, the first Canadian play to be staged at the Comédie-Française in Paris in 1991.
The author received the title of Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.