Village Squire, 1977-02, Page 34Baby Blue about the sexual mores of the
hip new Toronto. What made the show
most shocking was that it was performed in
a former church building. The show made
the C.B.C. National newscast and raised
the ire of Canadians across the country.
many of whom didn't know what the show
was really about or of the many fine,
non -controversial shows the group had
done.
Ironically, the most controversial of
shows has helped change T.P.M., to put it
into the establishment not the radical
minority. Like many of the former
alternative theatres of Toronto, T.P.M. is
now becoming very established. Though
never a bricks -and -mortar theatre, it has
now got its own bricks, a former factory in
Toronto which Thompson and his people
are slowly converting into a three -theatre
complex. Baby Blue helped raise the
money for the new building. More and
more playwrights are getting involved in
the creative process which was once
dominated by the actors and the director.
And the whole thing is costing money.
something that was nearly ignored in the
early days. The purchase and renovation of
the building will cost more than a quarter
of a million dollars. The actors who once
worked for less than minimum wage are
, now unionized, though still far from rich.
The cost structure is now so high that the
group finds it hard to keep the costs in line
enough to go on tour anymore. It is, in
short, being caught in the trap it once
revolted against.
Yet at the same time it's a good sign for
if it is to continue to improve, the theatre
must have more stability, must have better
working conditions, must make it more
comfortable for people to come to the
theatre. You can only get people to accept
$50. a week for acting for just so long
before they have to go elsewhere just to
earn enough to eat. You can only expect
people to sit in an uncomfortable theatre
for so long before the novelty wears off and
they either go on to the comfortable gib
theatres or stay home in front of the
television. You can only work creatively
against the odds for so long until the battle
to overcome the hardships saps your
creative strength.
Theatre Passe Muraille is getting bigger
and hopefully better but hopefully it will be
able to continue to bring its work out of
Toronto and into Western Ontario. And
hopefully it will be able to still find
Western Ontario subjects to take back to
Toronto.
HeIp Your
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36. VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1977
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