Editorial

Abstract

Tours, remounts and co-productions constitute an increasing percentage of theatrical activity in Canada, cutting across traditional distinctions between commercial and not-for-profit theatre, professional, educational and “community” theatre, even regional, Regional, national and international theatrical production. At one end of the scale, large-scale commercial producers such as David Mirvish are remounting, co-producing and touring such successful shows as The Drawer Boy, Two Pianos, Four Hands and Zaidie’s Shoes, shows that have emerged from small, not-for-profit play-development houses such as Theatre Passe Muraille and Tarragon, or are arranging co-productions in advance with subsidized classical rep companies such as Soulpepper. In the mid-range, branch-plant “Regional” theatres such as the Vancouver Playhouse, Manitoba Theatre Centre and the National Arts Centre are meeting their budgets and fulfilling their mandates by collaborating on productions that are too big for one theatre to take on alone. From another angle, independent not-for-profit production companies such as Autumn Leaf Performance, da da kamera and Ex Machina are funding their work in advance by soliciting co-productions (leading to international tours) with companies, conglomerates and festivals across the country and overseas. Even small-scale, lowercase “regional” companies such as Nova Scotia’s Mulgrave Road Theatre and Theatre Antigonish are getting into the act by providing development opportunities to artists from elsewhere for the creation of new work while simultaneously enhancing the range of experiences available to their own audiences. Community theatres and summer festivals have also hopped on the co-production bandwagon: if you missed the show last week in Port Dover, you might catch it next week at another port down the road.