About
the Play:
The
Crackwalker is
a full-length drama by Judith Thompson.
A tough, brilliant tragicomic urban drama that dances between the
line of humour and horror, giving a harrowing, hilarious and
heart-wrenching glimpse into the lives of four down-and-out
individuals battered by poverty, mental illness, and addiction, who
find themselves living life on the edge. The
Crackwalker
paints a stark portrait of the "permanently unemployable"
members of society.
The
Crackwalker captures the unpretty realities of
the ignored in our society. Theresa is sexy, seductive, and mildly
mentally challenged. Worshipped by her boyfriend Alan, she lives with
whomever will take her in, is addicted to doughnuts, lies without
thinking, and overflows with endless kindness, but she continues to
hold on to her limitless innocence. Theresa and Alan survive on the
goodwill of Sandy and her husband Joe, a relationship trapped in a
booze-fuelled cycle of domestic violence and verbal abuse with no end
in sight. A homeless man, whom they call the Crackwalker, haunts
their lives, an embodiment of social and personal failure and
hopelessness. Despite all their failings, however, the characters
retain a semblance of friendship and loyalty, and even the
Crackwalker consoles Alan in his final isolation and despair. The
seminal play that brought Judith Thompson
to the attention of audiences everywhere, her
striking portrayal of the discarded class continues to move audiences
today.
The
Crackwalker premiered
in 1980 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. Since
then this
Canadian Classic
has been
produced widely
at professional theatres across North
America and
has been
performed in college theatre productions as a showcase of student
talent.
Cast: 3 women, 2 men
What people say:
"If you're looking for an
escapist play to make you feel happy about the world, this isn't it.
The Crackwalker is bleak and hard to watch (at
times, excruciating). But it's the kind of show that does exactly
what theatre is supposed to do – foster empathy, start a
conversation, and force us to examine the world we live in."
— Broadway World
"The Crackwalker
hit the scene like a bolt of lightning, jolting people alive with its
bracing, brutal yet fragile characters and situations inspired by
Thompson's own experiences as a social worker in Kingston, Ontario.
Better viewed as a period piece than a timeless work, The
Crackwalker crossed boundaries, offending and challenging
many. Most importantly, Thompson broke new ground by insisting that
while the play was rough and raw, it communicated critical truths
about human failings and small Canadian towns." — The
Book of Lists
"Maybe the most powerful play
ever written in Canada...." — CBC
"Judith Thompson's
first play is a graphic, harrowing glimpse at life on the edge, at
individuals battered by poverty, ignorance and hopelessness."
— The Vancouver Sun
"Exudes vitality."
— Toronto Star
"Judith Thompson
has captured the corrosive imagery and exploding rhythms of life in
Kingston's lower depths, where spiked heels are dangerous weapons and
salvation is driving a cab in Calgary. Thompson so clearly
demonstrates an ability to expose the deepest roots of the theatrical
experience… its language and humanity make the play a minor
masterpiece." — Maclean's
"The Crackwalker's
[characters] are mesmerizingly real. These people live with you."
— The Globe and Mail
About the Playwright:
Judith Thompson, OC
is a highly esteemed Canadian playwright and educator. She has twice
won the Governor General's Literary Award for Drama for White Biting
Dog and The Other Side of the Dark. Other often-produced works
include Sled, The Crackwalker, I Am Yours, Lion in the Streets
and many more. In 2006 she was invested as an Officer in the Order of
Canada, and in 2008 she became the first Canadian to be awarded the
prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize honouring
the best English-language women writers worldwide for
her play Palace of the End.
She is currently a professor at the University of Guelph for the
School of English and Theatre Studies teaching courses in acting and
playwriting.