One might ask: “If Workshop West is Edmonton’s new play development theatre, why does it present a festival like Canoe?”. The answer is another question. “How many ways are there to skin a cat?”

In addition to bringing Edmonton audiences remarkable theatre created by exceptional artists from our city, Canada and the world, The Canoe Theatre Festival is new play development.

Canadian and international theatre practice is evolving. New plays don’t just come from playwrights. They come from devisors, collaborators, experimentors, collectives, and improvisors who create new work many different ways. These artists don’t just present their plays after a few weeks of workshops and rehearsal; they continue developing a piece after the first audience sees it, refining it with what they learn from audiences during performance. This practice is called performance creation. The Canoe Theatre Festival is Edmonton’s premiere venue for Performance Creation.

So, while The Canoe Theatre Festival presents some of Edmonton’s most exciting, exceptional and unconventional theatre, it also helps artists from our city, Canada and the world, continue to develop their work.

I hope you get a chance to take in all amazing pieces in this year’s Canoe, brought to you by Edmonton’s play development theatre.

Throw away your life jacket and jump in!

Michael Clark

Canoe Theatre Festival Curator