Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Theatre Passe Muraille
Pioneering theatre company in Toronto, Ontario , founded in 1968 by Jim Garrard and Paul Thompson .
Though collective creation was already in wide use throughout the country (having fuelled many of the productions of George Luscombe 's Toronto Workshop Productions/TWP ), it was Passe Muraille and Thompson who took the movement and truly ran with it. Within one decade of its founding, the company had produced 22 collective creations and had taken the philosophy all over the country and brought proponents of the form (ie: Codco ) to Toronto.
Thompson has been quoted as saying, "I would like to make theatre as popular as bowling," and with collective creation he almost succeeded. With works like The Farm Show, The Immigrant Show and The West Show, the ensemble was sent out into the community to be "presented" and encouraged to record oral histories, anecdotes, jokes and songs for inclusion in the production which was then, often, first presented before the audience it concerned. Many communities saw reflections of themselves in theatre for the first time.
Most importantly, Passe Muraille has and does serve as inspiration to companies across the country: its existence assures that there is an audience and interest in alternative theatre.
Playwrights who have been involved in the process or who have had works created at Passe Muraille include Rick Salutin , Linda Griffiths and Judith Thompson .
In February, 1999, Passe Muraille presented a work which alluded to The Farm Show called The Drawer Boy , written and directed by two of The Farm Show's company, Michael Healey and Miles Potter . To celebrate its 40th anniversary in the 2007-08 season, Passe Muraille remounted The Drawer Boy in an all-new production. In October, 2001, they presented an all-female cast in Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Layne Coleman was Artistic Director from 1999 to 2007. The present A.D. is Andy McKim .
The company's archives are at the LW Conolly Theatre Archives of the University of Guelph, Ontario.
(Additional information provided by LW Conolly)
Last updated 2009-09-15
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