Canadian Theatre History Books
An essential bibliography for Canadian theatre lovers.
Not many studies of Canadian theatre history have been written - yet. Here's an overview of some of the best.
Here are my favourite sources for Canadian theatre history. First, some important overviews:
- The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre and the handy little paperback survey English-Canadian Theatre (Oxford University Press, 1989), both by Edgar Benson and L.W. Conolly
- Contemporary Canadian Theatre: New World Visions, edited by Anton Wagner (Simon & Pierre, 1985), which is a very comprehensive collection of essays on topics like multicultural theatre. (Oxford University Press, 1989)
- Contemporary Issues in Canadian Drama, edited by Per Brask (Blizzard, 1995), a collection of fifteen essays exploring various themes in Canadian theatre in the mid-1990s. (I should probably admit that I wrote one of them, but I would stll endorse the book even if I hadn't.)
Then, two invaluable collections of interviews with Canadian playwrights:
- The Work: Conversations with English-Canadian playwrights, edited by Geraldine Anthony (Doubleday Canada, 1978)
- Stage Voices. Twelve Canadian playwrights talk about their lives and work, edited by Robert Wallace and Cynthia Zimmerman (Coach House Press, 1982)
Next, four surveys covering the growth of alternative and avant-garde work in the 1960s and '70s:
- Collective Encounters: Documentary Theatre in English Canada by Renate Usmiani (Coach House Press, 1983).
- Second Stage: The Alternative Theatre Movement in Canada by Robert Wallace (Fifth House Publishers, 1993)
- Producing Marginality: Theatre and Criticism in Canada by Denis Johnston (University of Toronto Press, 1991). More dry and academic than its title suggests, but a vital resource nonetheless.
- Up the Mainstream: The Rise of Toronto's Alternative Theatres by Alan Filewod (University of Toronto Press, 1987).
Three key books that examine specific periods, places and companies:
- A Public Nuisance, A History of the Mummers Troupe by Chris Brookes (Social & Economic Studies No. 36. St. John's: Institute of Social & Economic Research. Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1988). So readable! Possibly the most enjoyable book in this list.
- Wild Theatre. The History of One Yellow Rabbit by Martin Morrow (Banff Centre Press, 2003). Morrow was more or less an embedded journalist throughout the history of Calgary's most innovative theatre company, and he's obviously fascinated by his subject. More a journalist's study than an academic one.
- From Fire to Flood. A History of Theatre in Manitoba by Kevin Longfeld (Signature Editions, 2001). One of the things I like about this book is that it's just as enthusiastic about amateur/community/musical theatre as about ground-breaking pioneers like John Hirsch.
And finally:
- Canada on Stage , the year-by year listings of professional productions in Canada for 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-86 and 1986-88, produced by PACT Communication Centre (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres). They've continued an incomplete version at www.pact.ca, but it would be great if they could ever put the books online and fill in all the gaps!
Plus two useful websites:
www.canadiantheatre.com: The Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre online www.playwrightsguild.ca: The Playwrights Guild of Canada, with playwright biographies
The copyright of the article Canadian Theatre History Books in Theatre History is owned by Sarah B. Hood. Permission to republish Canadian Theatre History Books must be granted by the author in writing.
