CANDRAMA and a Question

[Guillermo Verdecchia]

Hi Michael and everyone else,

I'm a professional theatre-maker (FYI.)

> of the rest of Canada?  What influence does Lepage, for instance, have
> on the theatre currently practiced in Alberta, or BC?  Is there interest

While I think there is generally much respect in English-Canada
professional theatre circles for the work that comes from Quebecois
theatre-makers such as, but not limited to, Gilles Maheu or Robert Lepage,
or playwrights such as Bouchard and Chaurette (and others), I don't think
there are many theatre-makers (In English Canada) working in the manner of,
or inspired directly by, or even imitating the work of for ex. Robert
Lepage. There are many reasons for this including logistical, structural
factors such as funding, organization of theatres (and companies), the
respective professional theatre unions and associations, which permit or
encourage certain working methods but not others. There are no doubt many
other reasons ... historical, cultural, political which are extremely
important to consider.

Personally, (and I think many of my friends and colleagues would agree)
while we admire or enjoy (not without some reservations) and take
(vicarious, nationalistic -- delicate word that) pride in the work of,
again, Lepage, his work does not influence us directly because we are
pursuing different questions, interested in different ideas. An analogous
question might be what influence does Richard Foreman or Robert Wilson (or
...) have on theatre currently practiced in Georgia (or Colorado or Oregon
or ...)? 

Guillermo Verdecchia