Lina Chartrand

In 1986, Chartrand formed the feminist theatre collective Company of Sirens, with Aida Jordão, Catherine Glen, Lib Spry, Shawna Dempsey, and Cynthia Grant.^[3] With Company of Sirens, Chartrand co-created the play, The Working People's Picture Show.^[4][5]

Chartrand's first play, La P'tite Miss Easter Seals, premiered in 1988 with Theatre Francais at the Harbourfront Centre's du Maurier Theatre.^[6] She worked on the play for three years with consultation from John Van Burek.^[7] La P'tite Miss Easer Seals, partly inspired by Chartrand's childhood, is set on a train from Timmins to Toronto and centres on fifteen-year-old Little Miss Easter Seals, Monique Latremouille, who is travelling with her mother and cousin. Monique has spent six months in a full body cast after a spinal surgery to correct effects of childhood polio. The play's characters switch frequently between speaking French and English.^[8] La P'tite Miss Easter Seals was re-staged in 1993 by Company of Sirens at Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space.^[9]

Chartrand directed Helen Porter's My Father Taught Me To Swim in 1991 at the Annex Theatre.^[10] In 1993, Chartrand was named a screenwriter in residence at the Canadian Film Centre.^[11] The half-hour film she worked on during this residency, "In Limbo", was in post-production when she died.^[1]

Chartrand's collected poetry was published posthumously in the 1998 book, We Make the Air: the Poetry of Lina Chartrand.^[12]

Chartrand died on April 2, 1994, due to complications with liver disease, pre-deceasing partner Kye Marshall.^[13] The Lina Chartrand Poetry Award was established in her memory.^[2]