CANDRAMA and a Question

[Shawn Huffman]

Dear Howard,

Queb
Quebecois and English Canadian theatre is quite different -- this does not
imply that there is no contact or exhange -- a number of theatre companies
in Toronto for example, have produced  Quebecois plays, including
Chaurettes's The Queens, which Howard quite rightly recommends.  Michel
Marc Bouchard's Les Feluettes has played in Toronto and lead to a film
version produced by Toronto film maker John Greyson.  Canadian women have
also done a lot of work to make sure that their Quebecois sisters be heard
outside of Quebec -- unfortunately, despite the excellent quality (Jovette
Marchessault, Pol Pelletier, Jean-Mance Delisle) their work is somewhat
marginalized as "feminist".  Translation also occurs in the other
direction, but as Glen has pointed out, there is less interest in Quebec
for English Canadian plays (I am not talking about theatre companies or
professionals here).  The reason seems to be a perception that
English-Canadian drama is not often then not a variation of the theme of
realism.  Realism is perceived as out-dated in Quebec (so many English
-Canadian critics evoque the realism of Tremblay's plays -- it seems
strange to me to call Albertine, Le Vrai monde, Marcel etc realistic plays
-- even Les Belles Soeurs has absract qualities -- but that is another
debate.  I have taught English-Canadian drama is French translation and
there *is* enough material to give an interesting portrait -- Tompson
Highway, Pollock, Brad Fraser.

One aspect of your question is bothersome. The idea that Canadians "own"
Quebec theatre is really preposterous.  It is a completely colonializing
and backward perspective.  We don't own theatre, theatre is.

Shawn Huffman


 > To the lsit and to
Howard: > > Here's a question: >
> What is the relationship between the theatre of Quebec and the Theatre
> of the rest of Canada?  What influence does Lepage, for instance, have
> on the theatre currently practiced in Alberta, or BC?  Is there interest
> among Anglophone theatre companies for translated productions of
> comntemporary Quebecois authors?  Is there CANADIAN ownership and pride
> in the successes of Quebecois troupes, artists?
>
> I am a scholar working on apaper which treats this subject and would
> like to hear as many ideas as possible.  It will assist me if those who
> reply identify themselves as working professionals, schoilars, students,
> etc.  Hope that you have an opinion on this Howard, or that the
> dsicsussion is of interest to you.
>
> Michael Hood
> Indiana University of Pennsylvania
>