About the Book:

If you have ever wondered why the Scots love Michel Tremblay or what Sharon Pollock has to say to Japanese audiences, or just how a Canadian play – or being Canadian – is viewed in England or the United States, you should read Performing National Identities. Each author holds a mirror up to Canadian theatre, but the images in those mirrors differ in fascinating ways. The cumulative result is a multi-faceted reflection, coming from some of the world's most astute critics, on how Canada performs its national identities.

Performing National Identities: International Perspectives on Contemporary Canadian Theatre is the first academic study of its kind, collecting eighteen original essays by scholars and theatre specialists on the varied ways Canadian contemporary drama has played out in the United States, and more far-flung places such as Britain, continental Europe, Japan and Australia. The international scope of the volume, reflected in its co-editors (Sherrill Grace from Canada, Albert-Reiner Glaap from Germany), confirms the new importance of Canadian plays on the world stage. This is the first volume of its kind, and it celebrates the variety and vitality of Canadian theatre.

Among the playwrights whose works are discussed here are Michel Tremblay, Sharon Pollock, George F. Walker, Joan MacLeod, Tomson Highway, Marie Clements, Michel Marc Bouchard, Morris Panych, Monique Mojica, and Djanet Sears. There are also interviews with theatre practitioners in Hungary, Germany, and Canada, including one with the late Urjo Kareda. The contributors consider many of the challenging issues addressed by contemporary Canadian playwrights – issues of race and racist stereotypes, of gender and violence, of historical events and identity politics – and all agree that Canada's playwrights mine their local or individual situations to explore universal problems. It is this large vision, as well as the quality of the plays, that enables Canadian drama to move audiences all over the world.

About the Editor:

Sherrill Grace OC, is Professor of English and Distinguished Scholar at The University of British Columbia, where she has taught Canadian Literature and Culture for more than 35 years. She specializes in Canadian literature and culture, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Albert-Reiner Glaap is Professor Emeritus in the English Department at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf. He specialties include contemporary drama and theatre in Canada. He has been an Honorary Member of Playwrights Guild of Canada since 2006, and in 2008 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Association for Theatre Research.