After performing with the University of Montreal Theatre Company, Louis Fortier moved to Sarajevo, in 1995-1996, hoping to encounter the wartime artistic resistance movement. This exceptional experience determined the course of his life. He befriended Dino Mustafic and studied under the direction of Mustapha Nadarovic, at the Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts.
He moved to Paris, where he studied with Jacques Lecoq and later became Mario Gonzalez’s first assistant at The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Paris, between 1999 and 2003.
In 2005, following a proposition from South Korean author Roh Kyeong-Shik, he created an adaptation of The Train to Seoul, both playing the main role and being the co director. This show toured South Korea in 2005 and 2008.
In 2006, he danced the role of Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky, directed by U.S.A. choreographer Brooke Desnoes.
He then became one of the lead actors in Teatro Malandro, directed by world-known stage director Omar Porras. He performed the role of The Diplomat in Brecht’s play Master Puntila and his servant Matti. This masked show was performed worldwide for two years including shows in Theatre de la Ville in Paris; in Japan; in Colombia and in several European countries.
Louis Fortier has written and directed Our Hamlet, and adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy for eight actresses, which received great reviews and was performed in Canada both in 2006 and 2008.
In 2009, he created the Fools and Feathers Theatre Company, with Sophie Brech. This collaboration led to the writing of The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby , a show that brings together the universe of clowns, comedy and tragedy and which will be touring Canada in 2011.
Louis Fortier co directed the creation of an opera, The Castle, based on Kafka’s novel, which will be performed in Bulgaria, France, Hungary and Romania in 2010.
He is also playing in The Notebook, based on Agota Kristof’s novel and directed by Paula Giusti. It was performed in Theatre du Soleil, in Paris, and has been touring France ever since.
Louis Fortier has recently played the main role in Sun, a full-length feature film directed by Mario Feroce. In 2005, he also played the role of an English businessman in an international short film produced by The BBC.
Since 2001, Louis Fortier has directed several workshops on tragedy, chorus work, clowns and masked theatre, in countries such as Canada, South-Korea, France, Hungary Italy and Iran. These workshops have allowed him to work with actors directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Irina Brooke, Omar Porras, Philippe Adrien, Daniele Finzi Pasca, Wajdi Mouawad, and formed in prestigious schools such as “The Lee Strasberg School of Acting"; the National Acting Schools of Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, France and Romania; “The International Jacques Lecoq School of Acting "; The International Marcel Marceau Mime School, …
