Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Factory Theatre
Company in Toronto, Ontario , formerly Factory Theatre Lab, founded in 1970 by Ken Gass .
The company has been at the forefront of the Alternative and Experimental Theatre scene from the start but has also been a hothouse for Canadian writing. Said Gass at its creation, "By limiting the Factory to only new Canadian plays, we were forced to abandon the security blanket of our colonial upbringing." He further proved his commitment to the company by, at one time, paying its rent out of his own pocket.
It is a training ground for actors, directors and particularly playwrights. It opened on the second floor of a garage but moved to downtown Toronto soon after. Gass launched a series of playwrights' contests and began a workshop program. Within ten years the company had premiered 50 new plays. Its roster is an engaging (and politically engaged) series of productions including: David Freeman 's Creeps , George F. Walker 's Criminals in Love and Zastrozzi , and Gass' Hurray For Johnny Canuck and Winter Offensive (this last causing a huge stir and calls for cuts to public funding of the company for its bluntness).
Artistic directors since Gass have included Bob White , Jackie Maxwell and Michael Springate . The company was on the edge of bankruptcy, but with a series of successful productions in its 1995-96 season and a budget cut of 25%, the companies deficit was slashed back to $400,000. It has since been reduced to about $100,000. In November of 1996, Springate resigned as AD and was replaced by the company's founder, Ken Gass.
In March, 1999, the company finally was able to buy its Bathurst Street venue (with plans to renovate the building) following a particularly successful season which included George F. Walker's Suburban Motel series. As a result, its 30th Anniversary party in May, 2000, was particularly celebratory.
The company's archives are at the LW Conolly Theatre Archives of the University of Guelph, Ontario.
(Additional information provided by David Baile and Christopher Hoile)
Website: www.factorytheatre.ca
Last updated 2009-04-01
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