[Candrama] Information on Banned or Censored Plays

[David Ferry]

The Man in the Glass Booth by Robert Shaw was cancelled at Saidye Bronfman Theatre by the board in 1971, which as I recall, led to AD Marion Andre’s resignation.

And one might argue that the pulling of Jason Sherman’s play about Marshall McLuhan (The Message) from a season in 2003 was the result of a kind of self imposed (by the Theatre’s management/board) censorship.

And then..there was the cancellation of a whole season of new Canadian plays by the Canadian Stage Board which was brought about by the forcing out of AD Guy Sprung in the 80s. 

David Ferry
Appledore Productions
416 433 5826
appledor at sympatico.ca
davidferry.workbooklive.com

thaumaturgy with dramaturgy

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. (Samuel Beckett. Worstward ho.)

> On Aug 17, 2019, at 4:27 PM, Brian Morton <mortonbg1999 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> There is a 1974 issue of Canadian Theatre Review, that discusses
> "Theatre Censorship in Canada".. I still own a copy of that issue on
> the bookshelf.
> 
> And yes, Jim Garrard and FUTZ, at Rochdale College in 1969, definitely
> springs to
> mind.  The CBC radio archives had some interviews about this online
> for quite a while.  I found the link again here.
> https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/futz-a-farmer-and-his-pig
> 
> As does Michael Hollingsworth's CLEAR LIGHT at Toronto Free Theatre,
> and Ken Gass' WINTER OFFENSIVE at the Factory.
> 
> The cancellation of Brad Fraser's play POOR SUPER MAN, at the
> Stephenwolf Theatre in Chicago, in the early 1990s.
> 
> More recent controversies would be Hillar Latoja and DNA Theatre's
> play PAULA AND KARL, or a production that toured the CAFF Fringe
> circuit about 18 years ago called THE HAPPY C_NT.
> 
> Not a theatre production, but Ivan Rietman's 1969 student film at
> McMaster University, THE COLUMBUS OF SEX, which led to a prosecution for
> film obscenity in Hamilton.   I have spent years trying to turn that
> story into a stage play.
> 
> A pity that the original poster asked the information to be sent off
> listserv, as I would have been interested in reading the responses.
> 
> Brian Morton
> 
>> On 8/16/19, Don Rubin <drubin at yorku.ca> wrote:
>> Futz in Toronto.  Lot of studies on the case. Also Passe Muraille’s We Love
>> You Baby Blue.
>> 
>> Don Rubin
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>> On Aug 16, 2019, at 2:13 PM, Ginny Ratsoy
>> <Gratsoy at tru.ca<mailto:Gratsoy at tru.ca>> wrote:
>> 
>> Dear Colleagues:
>> 
>> I am posting this request for information on behalf of the President and AD
>> of City Stage in New Westminster, BC. If you can assist, please respond
>> directly to either Christopher Walmsley
>> (cwalmsley at tru.ca<mailto:cwalmsley at tru.ca>) or Renee Bucciarelli
>> (renee at fraj.com<mailto:renee at fraj.com>). Many thanks.
>> 
>> 
>> We are interested in hearing about Canadian plays that were banned or
>> censored by authorities of various kinds--police, theatre boards, censors,
>> municipal/provincial governments.
>> 
>> In Vancouver, British Columbia we are aware that Tobacco Road (1953), the
>> Beard (1970) and Captive of the Faceless Drummer (1970) all were
>> controversial to the point of being shut down.
>> 
>> Are there any more examples from British Columbia?
>> 
>> Were there censored/banned plays in the rest of Canada during the 20th
>> century?
>> 
>> Thanks for taking the time to reply!
>> 
>> Christopher Walmsley (President)  cwalmsley at tru.ca<mailto:cwalmsley at tru.ca>
>> Renee Bucciarelli  ( Artistic Director)
>> renee at fraj.com<mailto:renee at fraj.com>
>> 
>> City Stage New Westminster
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>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Brian Morton
> www.theatre-erebus.ca
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