Paul Buissonneau

Paul Georges Buissonneau (24 December 1926 – 30 November 2014) was a Paris-born performer and francophone theatre director who became a central figure in the cultural life of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He appeared on Broadway in 1947, with his credits including work connected to Édith Piaf.

Buissonneau began his performing career in France as a singer with Les Compagnons de la chanson, a French choral group. Édith Piaf was also performing with the group during this period. A North American tour brought him to the continent, and he ultimately chose to remain in Quebec rather than return to France.

In 1952, the City of Montreal named Buissonneau artistic director of La Roulotte, an outdoor theatre operating within the city's parks. The position provided an early platform for a number of artists who would go on to prominence in Quebec, among them Yvon Deschamps, Jean-Louis Millette, Claude Jasmin, Claude Léveillée, Marcel Sabourin, and Robert Charlebois. Four years later, in 1956, Buissonneau founded the Théâtre de Quat'Sous, also known as the Four-penny Theatre, and served as its artistic director until 1989. The company became a launching ground for notable Quebec theatre figures including Robert Lepage, François Barbeau, André Brassard, René-Daniel Dubois, and Lothaire Bluteau.

Alongside his stage work, Buissonneau contributed to Canadian television, most notably through the children's series La Boîte à surprises, which began in 1954 and continued into the early 1970s. He created and performed the character of Picolo for the series. During his 35 years at the Quat'Sous, he also wrote and performed in numerous plays and television productions.

His contributions to the performing arts were recognized with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 1998 and the Prix Denise-Pelletier in 2001. In 2009, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the evolution of the performing arts, especially theatre, as director of La Roulotte and the Quat'Sous.