PGC's Tom Hendry Has Passed Away

[Don Rubin]

Dear David and Candrama List:

Tom Hendry was without doubt a seminal figure in the development of both 
theatre in Canada and the idea of a viable and independent Canadian theatre.

His work in helping to found MTC and the Free Theatre in Toronto are 
major achievments to be sure, the former one of North America's first 
modern regional theatres and the latter one of Canada's early 
alternative theatres (created in the years after John Herbert's Garret, 
George Luscombe's TWP, Passe Muraille and Factory but certainly early on 
in the history of the modern Canadian theatre). These organizational 
achievments of Tom's will not and must not be forgotten.

But he was also instrumental in the building of a national theatre 
communications network in Canada (the Canadian Theatre Centre which he 
ran for many years and which published a variety of playscripts and 
magazines). He was also part of the formative years of the Playwrights 
Union of Canada and Playwrights Canada Press. Tom was a playwright 
himself and his own plays were produced and published. I did my first 
Canadian theatre book reviews for the Canadian Theatre Centre's "Stage 
in Canada" under Tom's editorship in the late 60s. He obviously helped 
start many theatre careers.

I am sure he also had much to do with getting theatres to think 
nationally and internationally when it came to the notion of theatre 
publicity. His wife, Judith, was the Director of PR for the Shaw 
Festival early on and she was later involved in many of Tom's own 
theatre ventures (and her own) over the decades. He was a founder of 
great importance and he deserves all the plaudits for what he did for 
Canadian theatre over the decades.

Pat and I offer our sincere sympathies to Judith and his family.

One small historical point based on David Ferry's letter.  Tom really 
had nothing to do with the founding of Canstage at the St. Lawrence 
Centre. His involvement was with founding the Free Theatre on Berkeley 
Street which was begun as an independent operation with no connection at 
all to Canstage or, as it was then called, Toronto Arts Productions. 
Canstage eventually did take over the Free's space as its "experimental" 
stage but the Free's own history as an alternative theatre should really 
and is really a totally separate story. My own sense is that if Canstage 
tried to claim the Free historically (as David suggests) many people 
(Tom among them) would not be amused.

Don Rubin,
Founding Editor
Canadian Theatre Review

Professor and Former Chair,
Department of Theatre
York University

On 12/9/2012 11:13 AM, David Ferry wrote:
> Tom was indeed an extraordinary man of our theatre.
>
> He and John Hirsch both studied under James Reaney when Reaney was teaching in Winnipeg...his influence to these two young theatre nuts according to Tom in an interview I did with him a few years ago was very significant. Surely, they both evolved an extraordinary sense of the importance of the "local" and of "nation" and went on to be theatrical nation builders. MTC became the model for the regional theatre system in Canada and had significant influence in the US regional system as well. Tom's work with Free Theatre (and Playwright's) was an absolutely fundamental building block in the creation of the modern Toronto theatre evolution. Imagine an exciting theatre featuring some of the most exciting of our actors doing theatre for free admission today?
>
> MTC did a very nice press release in honour of Tom's passing. And they have a fabulous statue of Tom and John outside their theatre. Sadly, I can find no mention on CanStage's web site regarding Tom's passing...I wonder if they even know how important Tom is to the origin of the company? As for a statue....well, this is Toronto after all.
>
>
>
>
> David Ferry
> Appledore Productions
> 416 433 5826
> www.davidferryactor.com
>
> On Dec 8, 2012, at 12:05 PM, Ric Knowles <rknowles at UOGUELPH.CA> wrote:
>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> I was really saddened to get the message below from PGC about Tom Hendry's passing, and I've been astonished since not to have seen an obit in the major papers, or indeed on Candrama (unless I've missed something).
>>
>> I only knew Tom in recent years as a member of the board of Playwrights Canada Press, but he was an unassuming giant: co-founder of Manitoba Theatre Centre, AND Toronto Free Theatre AND Playwrights Union, playwright, administrator, accountant (!)--and above all a huge champion of Canadian playwrights right up until the end of his life. He was also a person of extraordinary good humour, and a great story teller. I, for one, will miss him.
>>
>> I'm not in a position to write a formal obituary--and I didn't know him that well--but I hope the Canadian theatre community will do something significant to mark his life, and his passing.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Ric
>>
>> Co-editor, Theatre Journal
>> Professor of Theatre Studies
>> University of Guelph
>> Guelph, Ontario, Canada
>> N1G 2W1
>>
>> ph: 519-824-4120, x52931 (w)
>> FAX: 519-824-0560
>> email: rknowles at uoguelph.ca
>> http://www.uoguelph.ca/sets/sets-ric-knowles
>>
>>
>> ----- Forwarded Message -----
>> From: "Playwrights Guild of Canada" <communications at playwrightsguild.ca>
>> To: "Ric" <rknowles at uoguelph.ca>
>> Sent: Monday, December 3, 2012 11:49:34 AM
>> Subject: PGC's Tom Hendry Has Passed Away
>>
>>         
>>
>>
>>
>>     
>>
>> PGC - Special Announcement    December 3, 2012
>>
>> Playwright and PGC-founding member Tom Hendry Has Passed Away.
>> Playwrights Guild of Canada has just learned that playwright and PGC-founding member Tom Hendry (1929-2012) passed away over the weekend. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time of mourning.
>>
>>
>> In memory of his many achievements, PGC will be collecting personal remembrances and condolences from our members and friends, which we will then compile and send to his family. If you are interested in adding your voice, please send your message to: communications at playwrightsguild.ca
>> Remembering Tom Hendry
>> Tom participated in this year's AGM in Winnipeg, via video conferencing. If you'd like to watch Tom's interview, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYx80fwirqE&feature=plcp
>>
>> We will be publishing more news and information as it becomes available, so please check our website and Facebook page regularly for further details.
>>
>> (back to top)
>>
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>>         Sent to rknowles at uoguelph.ca — why did I get this?
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