The success of a play or work of theatre is based largely upon the reactions of audiences. Audiences collectively decide whether a play is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and this dictates what shows are produced and who with. If audiences hold the power to say what experiences and who is tolerable on stage, then they also have the ability to dictate who is intolerable. This ability is capable of creating an exclusive environment where some stories are not told, and some people are less welcome than others on the stage. These ideals of ‘good’ are based on long standing value systems derived from theatre history and theorists. Plato, Émile Zola, andDenis Diderot all held strong ideals of what was authentic and therefore tolerable on stage. Plato believed the act of representation to be the key to authenticity, Zola was concerned with the authenticity of voice itself, and Diderot with the stories being told. In considering all three aspects of authenticity this presentation will consider contemporary Canadian theatre examples in comparison to select Shakespearean examples that uphold and subvert the historical conventions. Ultimately, the examples ask how these long-standing values fit in a multicultural Canada, and further within the age of immense globalization.