In the wake of the "quiet revolution," as the Quebec people struggled to free themselves from the alienating effects of two centuries of repression, and as political and educational reforms began to open an exhilarating window on the future, there occurred an unprecedented outpouring of artistic expression in literature, music and popular song. While in print literature, the energy liberated by the "quiet revolution," contributed to the development of talents like Hubert Aquin, Marie-Claire Blais and Roch Carrier, it was nonetheless the theater—traditionally a minor silhouette on the Quebec cultural horizon—that underwent the most striking transformation.
The essays included in this work continue the tradition of critical analysis of Quebec theater by bringing together ideas from Quebec, English Canada, the United States, and France. These essays reflect a wide variety of interpretative techniques and theoretical underpinnings. Also, these essays attest to the rich imagination and innovative techniques of Quebec's playwrights and directors.
