As a teaser, though, can I query the distinction between text-driven work and work that matters because of its liveness or its event-like character? I agree that this distinction often seems central in Canadian (and really, internationally, English-language) theatre, but I see no reason why it should be. A performance is a performance is a performance. There is no inherent reason (beyond, well, author’s rights) why a highly crafted “literary” play should not be capable of being transformed into a ravishingly kinetic, present, and utterly live performance in ways that have little to do with the text, and couldn’t have been predicted based on a reading of that text. So it strikes me that excluding shows (or most shows) that are billed as the staging of a particular playwright’s work perpetuates a false dichotomy that I wish we could get over haste-post-haste.

Perhaps we can each make our hundred? Or a concerted effort to make canadian theatre on Wikipedia a “stub” subject.

There would be much overlap and agreement and (just as exciting) specificity about our lives and where we’re from – Irondale, Jest in Time and Chestnut Tree are makers who changed everything for me in Halifax in the early to mid 90’s.

As much as being “representative” of Canada is an impossible (harmful?) liberal fantasy – my hundred couldn’t stay in Canada, since as much as I’m very much of this country, my influences includes the back and forth (Jest in Time without Montanaro or Marceau? Irondale Halifax without Irondale NY or Brecht?)

Now, how about we take all this energy and try to get York and UofT to release and update the 100 plays for PhD students. That’s more the dangerous list – the list that makes more claims on power.

re: ‘Tear the Curtain’ – my mistake; I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Simply, I concluded, according to photo in blog, that Michael meant on ‘Studies’, what he afterall explained above. Both performances should be on the list, by any means.

As for Daniel Barrow, he is quite an interesting visual artist (and certainly deserves those awards for visual aspect of his work), however a terrible performer. The idea, concept, and animations of that show were quite original and catchy (contemporary achievement of mixing visual arts and theatre is definitely my cup of tea), but listening for full hour somebody’s too monotone, a way too tired voice, with total lack of pitch variety, resulted that we audience couldn’t maintain any interest in his story. With such (language) expression it is a bit difficult to consider seriously this performance in any kind of essentiality. Sorry.

But enough of trolling – one more show got to my mind, however totally forgot the name. It was presented last year in Harbourfront “StudioTheatre”, for very short term (4 or even 1 night only) about people who discreetly have affairs in a hotel room, with a young man with body painted in silver, is slowly moving around the room. Maybe you know what I’m talking about.

and am ready for opera input 🙂

Regarding the inclusion of Daniel Barrow’s ‘Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry’, I found it to be a revelatory performance, bridging the worlds of visual art and theatre. It’s impact and merit is arguably supported by it winning the 2008 Images Prize and Barrow being honoured with the 2010 Sobey’s Art Award. I have also tried to represent artists from various regions across Canada and I believe Barrow to be one of the most important performance creators from Manitoba. In terms of why ‘Tear the Curtain!’ rather than ‘Studies in Motion’, I guess it is simply a matter of personal taste.

@Michael – your point of Doras has sence. Still, I think, the choise of rustic Distillery district building as a venue, switching stages from corner to corner, from rotating scaffolds to hole in the wall. etc. etc. is enough to pass “the difficulty of conveying their totality on the page”. For the same reasons, I would gladly see ‘Children’s Crusade’ (Luminato, 2009) on the list, but that’s an opera and (so far) not applicable.

I also moved here in 03 and remember Birdland’s Last Days as the first indie show that really rocked me – but I think it may have also swept the Doras so I’m not sure if I would anti-canon it. Maybe that has nothing to do with the criteria though….