Encyclopedia News; October 11

[Gaetan Charlebois]

Hello All

One of the major concerns that haunts many academics when they consider The
Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre on the WWW is the one about "Who is writing
the history of this nation's theatre." And it's a worthy concern and I take
it very seriously, which is why I am constantly updating and correcting the
information we put on the site. However, I am, too, concerned about what is
coming out of Toronto these days - an uttern lack of concern for facts in
general, especially in theatre reporting. When Kate Taylor, of the Globe and
Mail, mentioned in an article about the Beauty Queen of Leenane (just opened
at Canadian Stage) that it was a Canadian premiere I sent her the
information that had been sent to me from Saskatoon: that the play had been
mounted by New Theatre Co-op (starring ECT profilee Susan Williamson). Ms
Taylor apparently thinks I'm a moron or can't be bothered by the pipsqueaks
in Sask. as not only was the mistake repeated in a followup article in G&M
by Michael Posner but once again by Ms Taylor in her review of the CS
production. The same thing happened with a production of Strindberg's The
Creditors in Toronto (of  course) when it was sold as a Canadian premiere
and the news was passed on by Now Magazine and On The Arts (the CBC "Arts"
mag). Look, critics of ECT, please make an effort and contact these people
and browbeat them as you have browbeaten me so many times in the past. If
only because a company in Saskatchewan deserves the credit for having staged
a Canadian premiere of an important work. (Not to mention that, seeing as
most of my critics are in Toronto, it might be a good idea to effect some
local housecleaning.)

Rant over.

So, things go on. Perhaps some major news to announce soon (which you might
get a hint of if you visit the theatre section of the new French Canoe site
http://www.canoe.qc.ca). However, though the possibilities have been
discussed, nothing has become concrete.

Too, the surprise I have been talking about for a while continues and might
be ready for the new year (or sooner).

Meanwhile, if you would like a copy of the entire list of profiles, I can
send it to you by e-mail. Also if, for teaching etc., you'd like all the
Thea-Tricks questions and answers since the beginning, that's available too.
(Both at no charge like all services provided by the canadiantheatre.com.)

Also, don't forget Heavenly Voices for your regional news, job postings or
audition calls. (http://www.canadiantheatre.com/heavenlyvoices.html)

And announce your show!
(http://www.canadiantheatre.com/calendar/calendarguidlines.html) If you want
to see what a typical region's and month's line-up can look like go to
(http://www.canadiantheatre.com/calendar/atoc99.html)

Register your link too!
(http://www.canadiantheatre.com/links/linksguidelines.html)

New Profiles:
Normandeau, Elaine (Stage Manager)
(http://www.canadiantheatre.com/n/normandeaue.html)
Duceppe, Monique (Director) (http://www.canadiantheatre.com/d/duceppem.html)

Updates:
Heavenly Voices; Thea-Tricks; Reviews; Calendar/12 productions added; Links
Warehouse; Follows, T.; Theatre and Company; "A Short History of Night";
Reineke, G.; Gass, K.; Neptune Theatre; Neville, J.; "The Dragonfly of
Chicoutimi"; Millette, JL; Christie, D.; Duceppe, J.; Compagnie
Jean-Duceppe; Deyglun, H.; Sutto, J.; Walsh, M.; Leger, V.; Sorgini, L.;
Tova, T.; Performance Art; "Tit-Coq"; Levesque, R.; "Suburban Motel";
Bernard, D.

Gaetan L. Charlebois (Editor, The Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre on the
WWW) http://www.canadiantheatre.com or
http://cantheatre.canoe.ca
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