Why Not Theatre?

Why Not Theatre?
Name	Why Not Theatre?
Type	Independent theatre company
Founded	1990s
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Contemporary drama, experimental theatre, new play development

Why Not Theatre?

Why Not Theatre? is an independent theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario, recognized for producing contemporary and experimental plays, commissioning new works, and fostering playwrights and directors. The company has intersected with Canadian cultural institutions such as the Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canadian Stage, and international festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Adelaide Festival.

History and Origins

Why Not Theatre? emerged in the 1990s amid a resurgence of independent companies in Toronto alongside Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and Young People's Theatre. Founding figures drew inspiration from practitioners associated with Jerzy Grotowski, Antonin Artaud, Peter Brook, and movements linked to the Off-Off-Broadway scene, while responding to funding landscapes shaped by bodies like Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council. Early seasons placed the company in the context of venues such as Theatre Passe Muraille, The Great Hall, and the Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, and involved collaborations with artists from National Arts Centre and ensembles influenced by Complicité and The Wooster Group.

Artistic Philosophy and Mission

The company's mission emphasizes playwright-driven projects, ensemble creation, and risk-taking akin to practices at Royal Court Theatre, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and Paines Plough. Artistic leadership has foregrounded methodologies associated with Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, and devised theatre traditions connected to Collective Creation while engaging critics and institutions exemplified by The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and the National Post. Why Not Theatre? aims to bridge narratives relevant to communities around Queen Street West, Kensington Market, and the Parkdale neighbourhoods, drawing audiences comparable to those of Hybrid Theatre and touring partners such as fuel theatres and international presenters at Shelter Studios.

Notable Productions and Collaborations

Productions have included premieres by playwrights whose careers intersect with companies like Tarragon Theatre and festivals like the Kilroy International program, working with directors and designers with credits at Stratford Festival and Canadian Stage. Collaborations extended to artists from Ballet British Columbia, composers with links to Canadian Opera Company, and visual artists associated with Art Gallery of Ontario and curators from Toronto International Film Festival for multimedia projects. The company has staged works that toured to events such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Fringe World Festival, and curated seasons in partnership with presenters like Outside the March and venues including Factory Theatre.

Organizational Structure and Key Personnel

Leadership has typically included an artistic director, managing director, and board members drawn from networks involving Canada Council for the Arts and corporate sponsors associated with entities like Bell Canada and Royal Bank of Canada. Key personnel have collaborated with technicians and designers who have credits at Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canadian Stage, and educational affiliations with institutions such as York University Department of Theatre and University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Governance followed nonprofit norms paralleling organizations like Artscape and funding models resembling partnerships with Strategic Arts Management consultants and philanthropic trusts similar to the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Educational and Community Programs

Why Not Theatre? developed outreach and training programs targeting emerging playwrights and directors in collaboration with schools and programs at Ryerson University Department of Arts, George Brown College Theatre School, and youth initiatives connected to Neighbourhood Arts Network. Workshops, dramaturgy labs, and mentorships evoked models used by Playwrights Guild of Canada, Dora Mavor Moore Awards juries, and residency exchanges with international partners including groups linked to Theatre Royal Stratford-Upon-Avon and the National Theatre's community programs. Community partnerships included local artist-run centres, initiatives sponsored through Toronto Arts Council, and co-productions with collectives influenced by NoFixedAddress Theatre and other independent ensembles.

Critical Reception and Influence

Critical response in outlets such as The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, NOW Magazine, and academic commentary in journals affiliated with University of Toronto and York University has highlighted the company's role in nurturing new Canadian voices and experimental practices reminiscent of shifts seen at Factory Theatre and Tarragon Theatre. Its influence is cited by emerging playwrights who later worked with institutions like Canadian Stage and international festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and by practitioners who moved into film and television with credits at CBC Television and collaborations with filmmakers highlighted at Toronto International Film Festival.

Category:Theatre companies in Toronto