The theatre world is a fantastically complicated machine. With so many parts and so many active (and hyperactive?) artists it’s a demanding world to absorb. And then there are other times when life as a theatre journalist just seems to roll by. You’ve got a healthy dose of theatre to see and interesting artists to profile, yet there’s a predictable cadence that it begins to take. The strange thing is you can even stop noticing how formulaic the theatre starts to seem. It’s really something that we start take for granted – that shows must be a certain length, house a certain number of actors, that a stage serves a specific function. The list goes on.
But then a break through: Every year, the Playwrights Guild of Canada (PGC) hosts their annual general meeting. You may not have heard of them; you may just as likely be a member. They are essentially the organization that makes sure that playwrights are paid and that their rights are represented. What I learned at this year’s AGM is that this guild fosters more than just economic accountability for the use of plays. This organization, drawing playwrights from across the nation, is a pool of ideas, talent and perspective. With members such as Erika Batdorf, David Berke, Mary Vingoe, and Greg Nelson, this is a hot spot for theatre in Canada. Running like an undercurrent to what we witness on stage, these playwrights are also teachers, directors, actors and artistic directors.
These playwrights may move silently through the words on a page, or shake the stage through physical exploration until its boundaries give. Above all they are invested in the medium of theatre. It is their passion and so they will see that it is a habitable world for every type of theatre creator.
And what I learned is that for every face that appeared at this year’s AGM there was another process of creation. Behind every process, a desire to see growth and renewal in Canada’s theatre community. Over the course of three days the AGM featured a number of conference panels loosely shaped as discussions with four theatre practitioners at the helm. Philip Akin, Erika Batdorf, and Ken Gass, were just some of the many experts whose experience spoke for itself.
The conferences covered many topics: site specific work, the limitations cast by economics, the integration of the digital age into their craft, and copyright laws for example. As a fly on the wall however I was able to bear witness to a theme that arose time and again; a broad picture that made me realize both the immensity and range of the theatre that is created in Canada. I found myself re-learning, reframing and unfocusing not only my expectations of the playwright but the theatre as a whole. It may seem patronizing but I ask you quite honestly: What does a playwright do?
Traditionally, playwrighting is a lot of things. It is typically seen as immensely private, for example; an act between writer and paper. Also, in Canada playwrighting has seen a nation-building phase – its works concerned with “Canadianess.” But no longer, friends. This is not the same world of predictable conception, blunt nationalist impulses and sacred cows. Playwrighting has transformed and continues to transform. It is a reaction to economic restrictions, or a merging with other mediums. It is a realization of structure, and the breaking of that structure. It is both immensely private, and completely public.
In a panel that revolved around the process of writing, the idea of a dramaturge wormed its way into the discussion. This panel featured Greg Nelson, Erika Batdorf, and Catherine Banks (mod. Sharon Bajer), and ultimately none of them write in complete isolation. It’s as if the process of writing for theatre demands an interaction with other people – be it a dramaturge, a friend, or the inspiration found on a city bus. Is the theatre unshakably humanist? For me, this is such a compelling part of this medium of expression. Human emotion, ethics, and behaviour consistently sit at the center of a production; this is the case even when human bodies may not necessarily be seen onstage.
I left with the stark realization that there are twenty playwrights to every one that I see brought to stage – the fact is that visibility usually comes down to blunt economics. What’s frustrating is that I’ve come to accept a certain normative play structure — a structure induced by the need to maintain the financial health of theatres across Canada.
So I encourage you to see the unpredictable. I encourage you to discover a new space. Although many theatres may be afraid to face financial repercussions I would bet that they have underestimated the audience’s need to be challenged. There are different routes to creation and a scattering of theatre companies across Toronto who’ve taken their artistic success into their own hands, usually appearing as independent theatre companies. Most of the theatre that emerged during the alternative theatre movement of the 70’s have made room within their structure for these independent artists, usually in the form of new play development programs, or artist-in-residency funding.
In a world where everything seems predictably consumerist, perhaps even monochromatic, we need theatre with colour to help us see the world through a different lens. When we look at the undercurrents of Canadian theatre, there’s a wealth of creative energy. The solution lies in what we allow ourselves to enjoy, and that we allow theatre from across Canada (and beyond!) to speak to us in many different ways.
