Committing Theatre: Theatre Radicalism and Political Intervention in Canada
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by Alan Filewod
Between the Lines, Toronto, 2011
376 pp., illus., $29.95 paperback
Told from the perspective of someone who is both an academic and an active participant in politically motivated performance, Committing Theatre provides a historical overview of theatre radicalism in Canada and its role in political reform.
Author Alan Filewod examines the grassroots theatre movement from its nineteenth-century origins to recent developments and considers possibilities for future growth. A theatre historian at the University of Guelph and a co-founder of the Canadian Popular Theatre Alliance, Filewod writes with a generally academic tone as he incorporates firsthand accounts, scrupulous research, and insightful analysis.
Filewod’s history ranges from individual actions to works undertaken by large casts that perform radical theatre on an impressive scale. At the heart of his book is a passionate appreciation for theatre’s capabilities to rattle, inspire, and create change. As Filewod explains, “There is always something happening out there that we cannot see. In theatre that is where the radical plays.”
— Katherine Dow (Read bio)
Katherine Dow is a student at Red River College in Winnipeg and recently completed an internship at Canada's History magazine.