Canadian Theatre

Aboriginal peoples and theatre

Long before European explorers came to Canada, aboriginal

peoples had a rich, expressive culture that included music,
dance, theatre and storytelling. These deep artistic traditions
have been part of this land for thousands of years. Nonetheless,
development of theatre and other performing arts in Canada
has been shaped mostly by the traditions of European settlers
rather than by indigenous traditions.

Early beginnings

With European settlement throughout the 1600s and 1700s

came European traditions of theatre, music and dance. The
first documented theatrical performance in North America
took place in Samuel de Champlains settlement of PortRoyal, Nova Scotia in 1606.

Early beginnings

During the 1700s plays were performed by troops in taverns

and public buildings. By the early 1800s Canada had become
an established British colony: concerts, modelled on London
societys musical evening soirees, were presented in the
homes of newly arrived politicians and businessmen. Dance
arrived in the late 1800s via European and American touring
companies.

19th century

At the turn of the 19th century, with rising industrialization,

growing populations and accessibility of Canadas west,
theatres began to appear across Canada. The then-famous
American Pantages vaudeville and movie theatre empire
extended into Canada, creating venues for up to 2,000
people who flocked to theatrical, musical, dance and
vaudeville performances. Most of these were performed by
touring companies and artists, although arts institutions,
performance ensembles and musical clubs were growing in
cities across the country, all of which helped to develop and
promote Canadian talent.

1920s 1950s

The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of community concert

associations, travelling vaudeville shows and Little Theatres
bringing performances to communities of all sizes. Dance took
a leap forward in the 1940s and 1950s thanks to the
immigration of prominent ballet teachers like Gweneth Lloyd
and Betty Farrally, who founded the Winnipeg Ballet. Celia
Franca founded the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto and
Ludmilla Chiriaeff founded Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in
Montral.

1920s 1950s

A watershed moment for the performing arts came with the

Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts,
Letters and Sciences in 1951. The Massey Report, named after
the commissions chairman Vincent Massey, described the
state of culture in Canada and recommended the
governments support of Canadian artists, the commissioning
of new works, the development of touring and the building of
dedicated arts facilities. In 1957, the Canada Council for the
Arts was created to implement many of these
recommendations.

1960s and 1970s

With greater government support, and Canadas Centennial

celebrations, new theatres were planned or built in many
cities across Canada throughout the 1960s. In order to
support and coordinate touring activity and to bring artists
and presenters together, the Ontario Arts Council created the
first Contact event, Ontario Contact, in 1971.

1960s and 1970s

The Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, founded in

1968, was the first presenting network. Several followed
throughout the 1970s and 1980s, to encourage touring and
the professionalization of the presenting field. Today there
are about 40 presenting networks, ranging from Ontario
Council of Folk Festivals to the Atlantic Presenters
Association, that organize regular Contact events where
touring artists showcase their work to presenters.

Nowadays

Live music, theatre, musicals, dance, opera, comedy,

storytelling, spoken word, circus arts, interdisciplinary and
media arts are all part of the performing arts in Canada today.
Their appeal is remarkable: three in four Canadians reported
attending a live, professional performing arts event in 2011.

Thtre de Neptune was the first European theatre

production in North America.

A performance at John Molson's Theatre Royal, Montreal, 1825

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/Images/pXVII_01
_basics-past_slide_ALL_EN.html

http://famouscanadianwomen.com/on%20the%20job/entertaine
rs.htm#stage