Monday, February 5, 2007

Teacher - Eugene Jousse.

Does anyone have any recollections of Eugene Jousse, a drama teacher from the 50s and 60s.  (Verdun High)

Laurie Etienne

30 comments:

les__f MSN said...

Laurie this wasn't her was it? "I'm ready for my close up ,Mr Demille"..............hahahahahaha Sorry Laurie ,I couldn't help it,....the word Drama sparked this memory,of a far from dramatic (but more laughable) Norma Desmond........hahahahah

ndgbill MSN said...

Yes indeed I remember him well.I acted in a few plays and always was given the role of the villain.He was a great guy and loved the theatre and his vocation .As I remember him in his late thirties then,chances of him still being "with us " are slight I would imagine.

laurie540 MSN said...

Yep it could have been after the s**-change operation. !! Laurie

les__f MSN said...

I noticed the name after I posted old Nora..........hahahahaha ................but it was hollywood,....so how do we know for sure if Nora wasn't Victor/ Victoria...................hahahahahahaha

laurie540 MSN said...

 LES_F.     I like your humour ! Laurie

les__f MSN said...

Laurie you forgot to add,...........        "Say Hello to my Little Friend"   .................hahahahahah ps: i like that cat,....so I've saved it to my reitoire,......Thanks

les__f MSN said...

Notice ,...just like any good swimming pool,.... the word Repetoire.....................had No 'P' in it..............hahahaha Sure wish we had Spell Check................

mom1945-linda MSN said...

As long as we're making our wishes known....I wish there was a "search" option on this board!!!!  Would make life a lot easier.

laurie540 MSN said...

 LES  F.   You are not the only one who goofs on spelling. Laurie

edbro68 MSN said...

The French teachers of the Monttrreal district made an animated movie of 'The Three Musketeers' in French and doing the voices themselves. John French and Gene Jousse were prominent in it. he was a great French teacher so was Francham. Ed

edbro68 MSN said...

That's supposed to read John Francham. Ed

arbutus MSN said...

I remember Mr. Jousse, never had him as a teacher. I do remember seeing a posting, I think on this site, by someone related to him. I recollect it being mentioned that he had passed away. I also believe it was mentioned that he was living in the Eastern Townships. Anyone else recall that.   I am in contact with Gordon Diver, a member of VC, a retired teacher, accomplished actor, playwrite and director in his own right who knew Eugene Jousse and replied to my recent email about Eugene Jousse.   From Gordon Diver refering to Eugene Jousse heading to Stratford Ontario for the opening season of Stratford 1953.   "Yes, I knew Eugene Jousse, although I never worked with him.  He was a director in Montreal and I don't remember him ever acting.  I encountered him on the street a few days before he went to Stratford and he was surprised that I was not going while I was surprised that he was.  He knew he was only going be an extra, but he wanted to go so he could watch Tyrone Guthrie, very famous at that time, direct.  Others I knew were Eleanor Stuart, Richard Easton, Amelia Hall, Robert Goodier, all of whom I acted with at one time or another".     I came across the following site which has an opening night program for Richard III and Eugene Jousse's name appears in the list of extras under the heading of: Aldermen, Men at Arms, Monks and Priests.   http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/multimedia/pdf/stratford.pdf    I also recall that a number of girls who attended VHS thought Jousse was a pretty cool dude.   Gary Mace Sannich BC   ex 1045 Valiquette / 920 Moffat

waynefeb2940 MSN said...

I remeber Eugene Jousse very well. I was in one of his productions at VHS  "The song of Bernadette"  another member of that cast 'Jimmy Cooper' runs Oh Canada Eh, a supper theater in Niagra Falls.. If you're in the area look him up, he loves to entertain old Verdunites. Mr Jousse also spent a summer directing an outdoor theatre near Ottawa.  He took me and Grant Fletcher along as stage hands.  It was a great summer.

arbutus MSN said...

Wayne,   Super reminiscing about Mr Jousse great to here about your memories of good old VHS.   Gary Mace Saanich, BC

mom1945-linda MSN said...

You're right about Mr. Jousse....plenty of us 'girls' at VHS thought he was a pretty interesting person, and not very hard on the eyes either!!!

laurie540 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

laurie540 MSN said...

Thanks everyone for the info on Eugene Jousse. He was my father's cousin, and I never knew much about  Eugene. This is a great way to find out from people's personal memories. 
He did live in Sutton Qc,  and died in 1990.  

arbutus MSN said...

Laurie,   Was it you who once posted a rather comprehensive bio of Mr Jousse including the fact that he was invoved with theatre in the Townships. Do you recall that.   Gary Mace   Saanich, BC

laurie540 MSN said...

Hi Gary No  it was NOT me.   I didn't  know much about him until now - the stuff  VC'ers are submitting.  I don't know who the mystery person would be, but let me know please .    I am interested in the  genealogy of our family and who knows there may be some unknowns out there. Laurie Etienne.    

winnie3ave MSN said...


Linda. There you go, using the H word again. Hard on the eyes!!!!



Check out all that glitters with the MSN Entertainment Guide to the Academy Awards짰

maggiemck MSN said...

I believe it was Ernie Loiselle that posted detailed information on his relative, Mr. Jousse.

mom1945-linda MSN said...

Winston ~~ Hard is good, and so is s-l-o-w, and know what else?....I still have acute angina!!!!!     

arbutus MSN said...

Right on Maggie.  Go to the head of the class - super recall Gal - no sign of Oldtimers with you. LOL   Gary Mace Saanich, BC

laurie540 MSN said...

OMG    Ernie Loiselle - I went to VHS at the same time as him. I looked Loiselle up on the family tree and there was a Phyllis Loiselle who married Eugene Jousse.  Would anyone know Ernie's e mail ?  This is soooo cool.   Laurie  Etienne.

arbutus MSN said...

Sent you Ernie's email address to your hotmail address.   Gary

ernie_loiselle MSN said...

Laurie,   Yes I remember you and we did go to VHS  at the same time but you graduated in 72 while I graduated in 73..    Eugene Jousse was married to my Aunt & God-Mother Phyliss Loiselle who was also a teacher with the PSBGM.     My aunt was Gene's second wife and they were married about 1967 or so memory fails me, but I do remember going to their wedding as one of the only children at the ceremony.  Being the eldest and Phyliss's God-Son I was allowed certain privilages that did not extend to my siblings (much to their resentment)   The reception was held in Dorval at I believe his sister's place.         Gene had a daughter, who's name slips me at the moment but who now resides in Florida and in turn she had a son.   They were his only heirs that I knew of and we were never close.  I can only recal ever meeting her two, maybe three times.      Phylis and Gene took up teaching positions with the Bedford School Board as heads of the French and English Departments when they enlarged the boards territory and opened what was then something  revolutionary to teaching in Quebec, a comprehensive Regional High School  (Massey-Vanier in Cowansville)    They built a beautiful home just outside of Sutton and eventually retired there.   Uncle Gene died in 1990 from cancer and Phyliss passed on in 1995.   My recollections of Gene are those of a starry-eyed teen who was enamored of his uncle.  Gene had a penchant for sport cars and I learned how to drive with him racing around the eastern townships in his Silver Porshe 911 with its VW engine mounted transversly across the middle of the body.   I got to see several live plays across the northeast US as he hit the summer stock theater both as a visiting director and as an invited speaker or sometime just because he wanted to see the play.  I'll always remember my visits to Stratford with them, both the one in Ontario and the one in Conneticut.  It's not easy for a Tween-ager to "have fun" when watching a play, but Gene had a way of explaining things that made learning an desired experience.   My regards,     Ernie Loiselle (mailto:ernestloiselle@rogers.com)              

les__f MSN said...

Ernie good to see an updated post by you,..........I wonder if you have anymore pictures hanging about that you would want to post up here???  

arbutus MSN said...

Ernie,   Would you have a photo of your Uncle available to post.   Gary Mace Saanich, BC

Unknown said...

I attended Verdun High in the early 50s and he was my French teacher for a year...I remember his bright yellow Allard...

Anonymous said...

E. Jousse was a true mentor teacher. I often think of him...and I remember my father,
who was a much respected in his own right theater administrator, respected him greatly...I often refer to E. JOUSSE as an inspiration after playing at the Stratford Festival for almost 40 years.