Within the last generation, Canadian drama, like other literary forms, has seen the emergence of works by women that re-vision the role of women in history. However, in order to write themselves into theatre history, women have had to negotiate a complex journey through both pages and stages, a network of public production that is highly politically charged at every turn. This book examines the strategies employed by seven feminist productions that have managed to achieve a canonic place in the recorded history of Canadian theatre. All of the plays under consideration here exist (or have existed) in at least one published script form.
However, Dorothy Hadfield’s purpose here is not to analyze these scripts for the definitive meaning of the narratives in these plays, nor is she trying to suggest how a reader or audience should inevitably read them. Instead, Hadfield is trying to account for how and why these scripts came to exist in published form, given the strong implicit connection between publication and a public assumption of ?good” or ?successful” theatre. In a system where textual visibility leads to opportunities for study, reproduction and validation for both play and playwright, the permanence of script publication can have real economic and ideological advantages. By analyzing publicity materials, photos, programs, reviews, box office and theatre records, it is possible to trace the process of creating a theatrical ?success,” as well as to assess what effect that critical verdict has on the shape of the script publications of these works. In effect, by placing the textual artifacts left behind by these performances in the context of their production and reception, in part through a carefully constructed ideological compatibility throughout the production process, it is possible to investigate how the politics of the theatrical process influences what we perceive as ?good” playwriting.
However, Dorothy Hadfield’s purpose here is not to analyze these scripts for the definitive meaning of the narratives in these plays, nor is she trying to suggest how a reader or audience should inevitably read them. Instead, Hadfield is trying to account for how and why these scripts came to exist in published form, given the strong implicit connection between publication and a public assumption of ?good” or ?successful” theatre. In a system where textual visibility leads to opportunities for study, reproduction and validation for both play and playwright, the permanence of script publication can have real economic and ideological advantages. By analyzing publicity materials, photos, programs, reviews, box office and theatre records, it is possible to trace the process of creating a theatrical ?success,” as well as to assess what effect that critical verdict has on the shape of the script publications of these works. In effect, by placing the textual artifacts left behind by these performances in the context of their production and reception, in part through a carefully constructed ideological compatibility throughout the production process, it is possible to investigate how the politics of the theatrical process influences what we perceive as ?good” playwriting.
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- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references (p. [263]-279) and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- C812/.54099287
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 22
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn---
- ISBN
- 9780889225633 9781459312920
- LCCN
- PN2306.T6
- LCCN Item number
- H33 2007eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOONL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (288 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)slc00214522 (OCoLC)752524792 (CaOOCEL)409412
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Title proper/short title
- Re-producing women's dramatic history Reproducing women's dramatic history
- Transcribing agency
- CaOONL
Table of Contents
- Contents 8
- Preface 10
- Acknowledgements 14
- 1. Women’s History: Pages and Stages 16
- Exit: History 16
- Performing Histories: Stage One 21
- Performing Histories: Stage Two 25
- Getting on with the Show 36
- 2. Producing Possibilities for Feminist Theatre 44
- Developing Policy and Production in Canada 44
- Beginning with the Word 48
- Collective Creation 54
- Who Could Do Such a Thing? 61
- 3. Dead Centre: Judith Thompson Takes on Shaw and Ibsen 70
- Feminist Central? 70
- The Court House Trials 75
- Critical Verdicts 84
- Inadmissible Evidence 93
- Epilogue: Reviving Hedda Gabler 104
- 4. Sally into the Centre: Is Seeing Believing? 116
- How Do You Spell “Success”? 116
- Wanted: Single White Feminist 119
- Re: Playing History 129
- Playing With(out) Success 136
- Trials and Verdicts at the Canadian Stage 137
- Playing the Stakes 148
- In-Credible Instruction 158
- Reading History 166
- 5. Crossing Over, or, Reading Anger in the Margin 184
- Reading Across Contexts 184
- Writing the History of Mixed Blood: The Book of Jessica 189
- In Search of Ceremony 194
- Transforming Theatrical History 204
- This Is (No Place) for You, Anna 211
- Producing No Place on the Page 224
- Reproducing No Place on Stage and Page 230
- Of Supplements 235
- 6. Re: Visions of History 242
- A Good Night for Feminist Theatre 242
- Remainders 257
- Works Cited 264
- Index 282
- A 282
- B 282
- C 282
- D 283
- F 284
- G 284
- H 284
- I 285
- J 285
- K 285
- L 286
- M 286
- N 286
- O 287
- P 287
- R 287
- S 287
- T 288
- V 289
- W 289
- Z 289
