Ten Best Lists

[Alex Hawkins]

Gaetan et al,

I think that Reid is right, that because each of us is from a different
part of the country, and has come to Canadian theatre and drama from a wide
variety of backgrounds, and each of us has his/her own tastes and
predispositions, it's impossible even to establish any standards by which
to agree with any selection of "favourites".  Gaetan brings up in his
latest message the problem of anthologies:  in each of the Canadian drama
anthologies I've perused over the years, my reaction is always the same:
"What!!?!! They didn't include _____?!?"  Which says something about the
problem.

When I was in university in Calgary in the 1960s, there was a lot of
resistance to teaching Canadian plays, and most of my professors (American
and English, mainly) would say, "Well, when somebody writes the great
Canadian play, we'll teach it."  And of course, all of us students,
ignorant as we were, and excitedly reading Pinter, Beckett, and Albee at
the time, sagely agreed with this dopey sentiment.  Little did I know, that
if and when the great Canadian play would be written, the artistic
directors, CBC producers, and anthology editors of Canada wouldn't know it
if they fell over it in the dark.

In 1976, I believe I read the great Canadian play:  it is a play by Beverly
Simons, called *Crabdance*.  Gaetan: talk about excited!! I couldn't
believe how wonderful this play was.  It struck me that it must have been
like Roger Blin and Alan Schneider and Barney Rosset reading *Waiting for
Godot* for the first time - it was a revelation, and I still think it is
one of the great Canadian plays.  So, having said that, I would love to be
able to see all your faces and hear all your reactions - I imagine some of
you are saying, What the heck is he talking about?  or even, Never heard of
it.  Which illustrates and proves Reid's point.

I like what Frank Moher has suggested:  that everybody send in a list of
their favourite Canadian plays - no number stipulated, no other conditions,
just the raw lists - and post them for everybody's perusal.  We might not
establish the Top Ten, but at least we'd know what some of the commonalties
are, and whether there is any consensus out there.

Best wishes,
John A. Hawkins