New ebooks From Canadian Indies

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list price: $15.99
edition:eBook
also available: Paperback
category: History
published: Mar 2012
ISBN:9781553801221
publisher: Ronsdale Press

Opening Act, The

Canadian Theatre History 1945–1956

by Susan McNicoll

tagged: history & criticism, social history, post-confederation (1867-)
Description

The conventional opinion is that professional Canadian theatre began in 1953 with the founding of the Stratford Festival. But Susan McNicoll asks how this could be, when the majority of those taking the stage at Stratford were professional Canadian actors. To answer this question, McNicoll delves into the period to show how in fact the unbroken chain of Canadian professional theatre began just after WWII, when a host of theatre people decided that Canada needed its own professional theatre groups. Drawing on personal interviews with many of the actors and directors active in the period after the war, McNicoll explores the role of such companies as Everyman in Vancouver, New Play Society in Toronto, Canadian Repertory Theatre in Ottawa, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal, and many more. in 1953 the Stratford Shakespeare Festival ultimately showed the world that Canada was ready for centre stage, but the real birth of professional theatre happened in the years leading up to that moment. The volume includes over 50 photos of scenes from plays of the time and selections from McNicoll's interviews with such luminaries as Christopher Plummer, Joy Coghill, Amelia Hall and Herbert Wittaker.

About the Author
Susan McNicoll lives in Port Vancouver, BC, where she divides her time between writing and running her own bookkeeping business. Although she is now a die-hard British Columbian, her heart still belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays. Susan's lifelong love of words and history has been the main focus of her writing career, which began with five years as a reporter for The Ottawa Journal.
Awards
  • Short-listed, Ann Saddlemyer Award
Editorial Review

“This is a delightful trip through a time when English Canada’s theatre scene mercifully turned ‘pro’ and brought all us eager young hopeful thespians some dignity and recognition on our own home ground.” —Christopher Plummer

“A major strength of the book is McNicoll’s letting the players tell their own stories…. This is an indispensible, highly readable compendium of the essential characters of a critical period in our theatrical history.” —BC Studies

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