Department of Anecdotes

Out of our first season of play readings we selected three one-act plays and two full length plays to be given public concert readings in 1963. To launch this effort we held a press conference and, under strict budgetary confines, managed to provide some nibbles and half a gallon of the best QLC varnish remover we could find for under five bucks. One member of the press whose name, though not forgotten will be kept secret, indulged to the point where it was necessary for John Whelan to drive him home. Upon exiting the car, said "critic" thanked his driver profusely, then offered this profound admonition: "Good luck with your new theatre, but if you want my advice, stay away from Canadian plays!"

They could have called us the Nomadic Playwrights' Workshop, we moved so many times in the first 20 or so years. One move was to Heinz Heinmann's Mansfield Book Mart, a haven for book lovers. Mr. Heinmann was also an antiquarian book collector and lover of the arts. He let us use a section of his bookstore for a regular series of readings (he also invited poets from time to time; the first time I ever heard Leonard Cohen was at the Mansfield). What's more, he even bought the chairs for the audience to sit on, and later sold them to us for something like $2 each when we moved into our own (rented) quarters.

The first "home" we could call our own (as long as we paid the rent) was at 282 St. Catherine Street West. We had two floors above a shoe store. Holding dance and movement classes on Friday nights (when the store stayed open late) turned out to be a bad idea: the pounding on the ceiling and the shaking of the light fixtures caused a panic flight of customers fearing Mount Royal was erupting after several hundred years of somnolence. We switched classes to mid-week. The third floor housed our performance space. Minimalist gestures only. Otherwise the hand would go through the ceiling.

There was an ongoing discussion about risers...design of, manufacture of, portability of, storage of when not in use. Someone (see, playwrights can be multi-dimensional thinkers) devised a riser which could be collapsed. Good idea, as long as it doesn't collapse with bodies on it. It didn't. On the other hand, the extra hardware and wood made it so heavy it was almost impossible to heave one on top of the other. I have no recollection what happened to them. Mercifully.

After we left 410 St. Pierre there was a flood. And a lawsuit. Through the good offices of our accountant's father who was a lawyer, it was at the last moment settled out of court. It was a morning neither Gerard Rejskind nor I will forget.

At 329 de la Commune, we had a lighting board which required constant fanning, or first a strobe effect would take place, followed by total darkness... The city demanded a steel fire door at the entrance of the theatre space. It was "on order" for several months! An actor threatened not to appear on the opening night of Marsh Hay because the actors' photos and bios were displayed on the staircase wall, instead of in the lobby...When we sold 329 de la Commune and moved to the Saidye Bronfman Centre, Board meetings took place in the space behind the offices, which held the 18 foot long, angled table from SBC's Bonjour Là, Bonjour set. Paul Ledoux, then president, conducted meetings comfortably stretched out on the table, while the rest of us discussed moving Playwrights' Workshop into the modern era...which happened with the appointment of Bob White as our first Professional Dramaturg.

Because Mom was involved, out of necessity, various other Libmans were involved. Syd participated in a great many workshops and readings, as well as a variety of other non-artistic chores. In fact, the professional acting community in Montreal was very supportive, right from the beginning. Our son, Daniel (they call him Dan out west), after his exposure to the "glamour" of the theatre...(sweeping up, taking out the garbage, acting as assistant stage manager, and so on up the ladder) made his public acting debut in Balloons, went on to University of Alberta for a degree in Fine Arts (Theatre), and now based in Calgary, has carved out a career as a playwright, director, actor, dramaturg and teacher of acting and playwriting.

And that is more than enough from me!

Carol Libman