APN | Sharon Pollock


Site Links: APN Home Catalogue Index List of playwrights List of plays Search for a play Create a profile/ Submit a play Submit changes to your profile or play or send us a photo Other on-line catalogues: Playwrights Development Centres of Canada The Dramatic Exchange International Centre for Women Playwrights La Ronde - Playwrights Ring Playwrights' Workshop Montreal Playmarket - New Zealand Playwrights Playwrights Guild of Canada Virtual Library & Bookstore Playwrights Canada Press New Theatre Publications (England) Samuel French Catalogue ProPlay (British Columbia) Victorian Drama League (Australia) Dramatists Play Service (USA) Play Bureau (New Zealand) Theatrebooks (Toronto) Playscripts Inc. (USA) Find a play.com (USA)	Sharon Pollock Jump to list of plays Pollock’s stage plays are produced throughout Canada and abroad. She writes for radio and television, has directorial credits at numerous theatres across the country, and has led playwriting and theatre workshops within and outside Canada. Her awards include a Canada Australia Literary Award for her body of work, a Nellie Award for National Radio Drama, a Golden Sheaf Television Award, and a Japan Foundation Award. She is the recipient of two Governor General’s Literary Awards for Drama (1981 Blood Relations; 1985 Doc) and was shortlisted for the same award in 1986 (Whiskey Six Cadenza). Her drama Walsh was produced as a major theatrical component of Calgary’s 1988 Cultural Olympics and Canada’s prestigious Stratford Festival Theatre has produced three of her works, Walsh, One Tiger to a Hill, and Fair Liberty s Call. Blood Relations was recently produced at The Shaw Festival. Previously, Pollock was Head of the Playwrights Colony at The Banff Centre of Fine Arts and was the Associate Artistic Director of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Stratford Festival Theatre, and Theatre Calgary. She was the Playwright in Residence at the National Arts Centre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, and Theatre Junction. In addition, she was the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, Theatre New Brunswick, and Calgary’s inner city storefront theatre, The Garry. Currently, she is in the process of writing an untitled play, which is based on the 1913 trial of two Inuit charged with the murder of two priests. This was the first murder charge in the Arctic in Canadian legal history. Comments: “Pollock’s ability to deliver theatre with a jeweler’s precision is undeniable.” Andrian Wintle, The Australian “One of Canada’s most respected dramatists. A dynamic and outspoken figure in the Canadian theatre community.” Martin Morrow, The Calgary Herald “The plays demonstrate Pollock’s commitment to serious theatre in which important social, ethical and psychological questions are raised, and to theatre where innovation or experimentation with form and structure are embraced.” Dr Sherrill Grace, “Introduction” Sharon Pollock Three Plays Selected plays In alphabetical order by title: Angel's Trumpet Blood Relations Death in the Family Doc End Dream Fair Liberty's Call Getting It Straight Moving Pictures Saucy Jack Walsh To request a copy of any of these plays please contact the playwright directly by email To inquire about performance rights for any of these plays please contact the playwright directly by email Angel's Trumpet by Sharon Pollock Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON "Three Plays Sharon Pollock" orders@playwrightscanada.com Style: Drama Number of Acts: One act Length: 85 mins Total actors required: 4 Men: 2 Women: 2 Synopsis: The turbulent relationship between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald is encapsulated in a meeting with Zelda's psychiatrist. Scott, suspicious of the doctor's relationship with his wife, and on the verge of breakdown himself, demands that Zelda assume her role of wife and mother and that her literary ambitions be diagnoised as evidence of her escalating mental deterioration. While the psychiatrist attempts to mediate, the couple square off against each other using as their weapons the events of their past, present, and eventually their projected future. The struggle between these two passionate and talented individuals is underscored by the tapping of a typewriter's keys as a stenographer documents the meeting. Playwright's note: On May 28,1933 Zelda Sayre and her husband Scott Fitzgerald had such a meeting with her psychiatrist at Scott s request. He had also demanded the presence of a stenographer to document the proceedings. Since 1930 Zelda had been in and out of mental institutions, her artistic ambitions diagnosed as self-deceptions. That self deception was seen by Scott as a threat to his own writing, their livelihood. and Zelda's mental health. "Angel's Trumpet" is what I make of this meeting. Production History: Theatre Junction, Artistic Director Mark Lawes, directed by Sharon Pollock 1993 Notes: "a wild conjugal battle in the savage tradition of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolfe" Martin Morrow; The Globe and Mail "an intriguing glimpse into the troubled lives of two literary icons" Lisa Wilton The Calgary Sun Return to list Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock Published by NeWest Press Edmonton AB. Blood Relations and Other Plays Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 110 mins Total actors required: 7 Men: 3 Women: 4 Synopsis: On a hot muggy day 1892 in Fall River an unknown person took an axe and gave a number of whacks to Andrew Borden and his wife Abigail. Andrew's youngest daughter Lizzie was acquitted of the double murder but acquittal did nothing to dispel suspicions. Did she or didn't she? still reverberates. 1902. While sister Emma sulks upstairs Miss Lizzie entertains an intimate actress friend from Boston, Nance O Neill. She playfully teases, tempts, goads, and challenges Miss Lizzie to reveal her guilt or innocence. Miss Lizzie dances around a direct answer but suggests a game in which the Actress will play Lizzie with background information Miss Lizzie provides and what the Actress may deduce from that information. Miss Lizzie will play Bridget the Maid who was with Lizzie in the house on the day the Bordens died. The game generates the entrance of other characters who played a pivotal role in the murders and trial. What begins as a game directed by Miss Lizzie gains momentum from the Actress interpretation of Lizzie's story . As Nance gains control of the game and the story a murderer is revealed but the question remains Oh Lizzie, you didn't did you? Production History: The National Arts Centre Artistic Director John Wood, directed by John Wood 1981 Notes: Governor General's Literary Award for Drama 1981 "The play teases, and ultimately haunts, shifting and shimmering like a kaleidoscope" Brian Brennan - The Calgary Herald "a psychological study so subtle and penetrating that it sets off endless reverberations in performance." The Montreal Gazette Return to list Death in the Family by Sharon Pollock Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 110 mins Total actors required: 6 Men: 3 Women: 3 Synopsis: A prairie gothic mystery revolving around the intertwined lives of two rural families. Three motherless children, Gerald, Renee and Gillie Havard and neighbour Peter Semchuk were childhood playmates; Renee and Pete high school sweethearts; Gerald and Pete best friends, together joining the army during the latter years of World War II. Everything changed however with Gerald s death in Italy and Pete's return with Rose, his English war bride. The play opens in 1970. Renee Harvard has grown into an eccentric raw-boned woman, fiercely protective of Gillie who is simple and child-like. The two share a dark secret and are isolated from neighbours; Renee viewed as weird, Gillie as crazy. A blizzard forces Pete, Rose, and daughter Anne to seek refuge at the decaying Havard farm. They arrive with a badly beaten young man found near his abandoned car. The stranger believes the Havards hold the answer to a question he must have answered. He insists Gillie, who still lurks outside, has attacked him. The characters, trapped by the storm as well as by a distraught and increasingly violent Gillie, must confront and expose the truth of births, deaths and disappearances if they are to alleviate the pain of guilt and misunderstandings. Production History: The Garry Theatre Artistic Director Sharon Pollock; directed by Rick McNair 1993 Notes: "a darkly poetic exercise in the mystery genre with gunshots in the night, an unseen watcher and explosive violence" L. Warren - Connection "a compelling evening's entertainment about love, hate and death." Les Roberts - BackStage Return to list Doc by Sharon Pollock Published by broadview drama Peterborough ON. customerservice@broadviewpress.com Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 110 mins Total actors required: 5 Men: 2 Women: 3 Synopsis: When Catherine, after a long absence, returns home on the eve of ceremonies honouring her physician father she unleashes a kaleidscope of memories as father and daughter attempt to lay old ghosts to rest. Public service has been the keynote of Doc's life. He has worked to provide medical care for the poor having risen from poverty himself. "Never had a pot to piss in" he says, " lived on porridge and molasses and had to fight for every god damn thing I got!" It seems his achievement, however, has come at a price. Catherine finds her father isolated and alone, but as driven and combative as ever despite a recent heart attack. Catherine, no shrinking violet herself, and Doc confront each other in a no-holds- barred revelation of family secrets. They interact with figures from the past which include Bob, Doc's wife and Catherine's mother; Uncle Oscar,Doc's best friend; and Catherine herself as the young child Katie. Humour leavens this drama of a father and daughter's struggle to love, to forgive, and to understand in order to go on. Production History: Theatre Calgary, commissioned by Artistic Director Rick McNair; directed by Guy Sprung 1984 Notes: Governor General's Literary Award for Drama 1986. "an emotional steamroller of a play" Robert Crew; Toronto Star "a finely tuned emotional jigsaw puzzle" Louis Hobson; Calgary Sun "a strong personal statement with universal implications" Brian Brennan; Calgary Herald Return to list End Dream by Sharon Pollock Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON "Three Plays Sharon Pollock" orders@playwrightscanada.com Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 110 mins Total actors required: 5 Men: 3 Women: 2 Synopsis: End Dream, set in 1924, plays out the haunting inner and outer world of Janet Smith, a young Scottish nanny recently employed by the Clarke-Evans, members of their city's social and political elite. Janet confronts a household beset by mysterious activities, secret assignations, and sadistic game playing. Perhaps, as her employers insist, such dealings exist only in Janet's mind. A potential friend, were she able to overcome her prejudice, is the Chinese house boy, Wong Foon Sing, but even he is unable to prevent the tragic result of Janet's search for answers. Historical note: On a hot July day in Vancouver, BC 1924 a young Scottish nanny was found dead in her employer's basement. Rumors circulated regarding her employer's possible involvement in the drug trade and the nanny's awareness of it. However the racism of the era made inevitable the accusation of murder against a Chinese servant in the household. Perhaps not so predictable was his kidnapping, torture, and detention for 6 weeks by hooded men, later revealed to be members of the local constabulary. The Chinese houseboy was eventually charged and acquitted. The question of murder or suicide remained unanswered. Production History: Theatre Junction, Artistic Director Mark Lawes; directed by Sharon Pollock 2000 Notes: "a mesmerizing drama, a love story, a mystery, and a beautiful piece of writing" Bob Clark; The Calgary Herald "End Dream is a tantalizing treat for murder mystery buffs and history fans" Lisa Wilton; The Calgary Sun Return to list Fair Liberty's Call by Sharon Pollock Published by broadview drama Peterborough ON. customerservice@broadviewpress.com Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 120 mins Total actors required: 8 Men: 5 Women: 3 Synopsis: Late October 1785. A Loyalist family that has fled from Boston to New Brunswick hosts a reunion to commemorate the fall of Yorktown. The family is joined by two other veterans and their former Black scout who comes with news of the murder of one of their comrades. When a stranger arrives they assume him to be a former Loyalist soldier and invite him to join their rough ceremony honouring their service with Tarleton's Loyalist Legion. However the stranger soon reveals that he is a Rebel soldier. At gunpoint he demands justice for his brother who was killed in a massacre of surrendering Rebel soldiers at the Waxhaws. He gives the party until dawn to choose one of their number for execution. As the Loyalists attempt to debate who among them is least worthy to live, each is forced to confront their own actions and conscience, and to consider questions of justice and loyalty. Production History: The Stratford Festival Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre, commissioned by Artistic Director David William; directed by Guy Sprung. 1993 Notes: "A dramatic gem combining history, poetry and mystery into a look at the human condition...both entertaining and informative" H. J. Kirchhoff; The Globe and Mail "Powerful and provocative , , , one of Pollock's most absorbing and communicative works" Jamie Portman; The Windsor Star. Return to list Getting it Straight by Sharon Pollock Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON. "Voice of Her Own" orders@playwrightscanada.com Style: One Person Show Number of Acts: One Act Length: 70 mins Total actors required: 1 Men: 0 Women: 1 Synopsis: Eme, diagnosed as a schizophrenic, has fled an institutional outing to a rodeo by requesting a visit to the ladies. In making her get-away she fears she has injured her nurse escort. She hides amongst the litter of lost items and garbage under the bleachers of the grandstand. In her mind's eye she see others with whom she interacts. Her mind is filled to overflowing with bits and pieces of fragmented memories, dreams, nightmares, stories from childhood; she relives domestic and institutional experiences. Bizarre events and global tragedies compete with images from TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. All are interspaced with moments of lucidity. Eme thinks of “the real and unreal shuffledlike a deck of cards!" "Play the hand!” she says. She is determined to “get it straight”. But in her struggle to figure it out it seems as if true madness lies in the outside world while her perception of it represents a greater sanity. Terrifying scientific advances, an horrific discovery in her husband's briefcase, her fear for her own and the world's children compel her to take some kind of action. Note: Eme's monologue is a free flowing stream of consciousness with little punctuation in the text. Production History: International Women's Festival, Winnipeg MA. Directed by Rick McNair 1989 Additional Notes: "Pollock has successfully negotiated an invisible, shuddering tightrope" Winnipeg Free Press "a remarkable poetic achievement ... impassioned, direct, personal and dynamic" Stephen Pedersen - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax Return to list Moving Pictures by Sharon Pollock Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON. "Sharon Pollock Three Plays " orders@playwrightscanada.com Style: Drama Number of Acts: One Act Length: 90 mins Total actors required: 6 Men: 3 Women: 3 Synopsis: Nell Shipman as a young actress hammed her way across North America in the early 1900's. She was a hit in silent films, established an independent production company and made movies in which strong women played principal roles. But as movie making shifted from art to industry the precepts that guided Nell to success became threats to her life as well as her career. Confronting death the elderly Shipman accuses herself of sacrificing everything to her art, and achieving nothing. Her younger selves, the actress Helen, and the filmmaker Nell, disagree. They command Shipman to "Play!" key events in her life for the creation of story has been Shipman's love and escape; through story-telling meaning will be found. Shipman refuses but as Helen and Nell create their own versions of her life she is forced to play to counter their sugar-coated depictions. Two Men, always on stage, play various roles, ultimately controlling the parameters of Shipman's life. Thomas Edison's words "the illusion of continuous movement through persistence of vision" echo in Shipman's mind throughout the play. She interprets them as descriptions of her art form, the medium of film, and as commentary and negative judgment of her choices Production History: Theatre Junction Artistic Director: Mark Lawes; commissioned by Silvership Productions, developed by Guardian Spring Productions; directed by Brian Richmond 1999 Additional Notes: "extraordinary in every respect run, fly, swim to see Moving Pictures the best of Canadian theatre." Anne Nothof "dramatizes the artist's painful struggle to make sense of her life and of her failure to survive the ruthless politics and economic monopolies of the emerging Hollywood studio system." Sherrill Grace - Sharon Pollock Three Plays Return to list Saucy Jack by Sharon Pollock Published by Blizzard Press; available through Talonbooks Burnaby, BC Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 100 mins Total actors required: 4 Men: 3 Women: 1 Synopsis: Saucy Jack pieces together the puzzle of the Whitechapel murders through the shattered fog-choked brain of James Kenneth Stephen, Cambridge tutor of the Duke of Clarence, Albert Victor, grandson of Queen Victoria and an heir to the British throne. A close relationship once existed between Stephen and Eddy, as the Duke was known. Stephen suffers from an old head injury and is in a dubious mental state. He may be the killer, Eddy s accomplice, or simply stark raving mad. In any case he has a desperate need to renew his friendship with his former student and to confirm or disprove his own fearful suspicions regarding his and Eddy's role in the Ripper murders. To achieve this end he has hired Kitty, a London actress, to assist him by impersonating each of the five victims. However a presence emerges through Kitty and her role-playing that is haunting, disturbing, and increasingly more potent. The stakes are raised with the arrival of Montague Druitt, a current friend of Eddy's. The men's friendship is severely tested which leads to duplicity, betrayal and ultimately murder. Only Kitty, with her prophecy of rough justice, remains unscathed. Production History: The Garry Theatre, Artistic Director Sharon Pollock; directed by Sharon Pollock 1993 Additional Notes: "a thumping good thriller and a drama with some intellectual meat to it" Martin Morrow - The Calgary Herald "solid and chilling ... each twist and turn in "Saucy Jack" becomes a taut examination of psychological intrigue." NeWest Review Return to list Walsh by Sharon Pollock Published by Talonbooks Burnaby BC Style: Drama Number of Acts: Two Acts Length: 120 mins Total actors required: 15 Men: 12 Women: 3 Synopsis: “Honour, truth … the lot … they’re just words, Harry. They don’t exist. I gave my life to them, and they don’t exist.” Walsh tracks the relationship between Major James Walsh of the North West Mounted Police and Sitting Bull during the Hunkpapa Sioux's five years in Canada where they had fled after the battle at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Walsh was well loved by his men, sympathetic to the plight of the Natives within his jurisdiction, and critical of Canadian government policies towards them. He admired the Sioux's fortitude and Sitting Bull's statesmanship. Respect and friendship grew between the two men. Because of this Walsh comes under increasing pressure from his superiors. He is torn between his sincere desire to support Sitting Bull in his legal arguments to remain in Canada and the Canadian government's desire to appease the American government by forcing Sitting Bull and the Hunkpapa back across the line. Walsh eventually capitulates to orders from Ottawa under threat of losing his command, however his betrayal of Sitting Bull sows cynicism, corruption and impotence in the career he had hoped to preserve. Note: Some double casting possible. Production History: Stratford Festival Theatre, Third Stage Artistic Director Michael Bawtree; directed by John Wood 1974 Additional Notes: "There are occasions in the theatre rare and therefore all the more cherished when indefinable magic pervades the space and you are moved to pity, indignation, even tears. Walsh is such an occasion." Audrey M. Ashley - Ottawa Citizen "An excellent play!" Doug Bale - London Free Press "The colour of the red coats in Walsh is not the colour of Rose Marie or even the Union Jack. It is a faded dusty unspectacular red, the true colour of one of the saddest episodes in the history of the Canadian West." Herbert Whittaker - The Globe and Mail Return to list

Sharon Pollock

Pollock’s stage plays are produced throughout Canada and abroad. She writes for radio and television, has directorial credits at numerous theatres across the country, and has led playwriting and theatre workshops within and outside Canada. Her awards include a Canada Australia Literary Award for her body of work, a Nellie Award for National Radio Drama, a Golden Sheaf Television Award, and a Japan Foundation Award. She is the recipient of two Governor General’s Literary Awards for Drama (1981 Blood Relations; 1985 Doc) and was shortlisted for the same award in 1986 (Whiskey Six Cadenza). Her drama Walsh was produced as a major theatrical component of Calgary’s 1988 Cultural Olympics and Canada’s prestigious Stratford Festival Theatre has produced three of her works, Walsh, One Tiger to a Hill, and Fair Liberty s Call. Blood Relations was recently produced at The Shaw Festival. Previously, Pollock was Head of the Playwrights Colony at The Banff Centre of Fine Arts and was the Associate Artistic Director of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Stratford Festival Theatre, and Theatre Calgary. She was the Playwright in Residence at the National Arts Centre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, and Theatre Junction. In addition, she was the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, Theatre New Brunswick, and Calgary’s inner city storefront theatre, The Garry. Currently, she is in the process of writing an untitled play, which is based on the 1913 trial of two Inuit charged with the murder of two priests. This was the first murder charge in the Arctic in Canadian legal history.

Comments:

“Pollock’s ability to deliver theatre with a jeweler’s precision is undeniable.”
Andrian Wintle, The Australian

“One of Canada’s most respected dramatists. A dynamic and outspoken figure in the Canadian theatre community.”
Martin Morrow, The Calgary Herald

“The plays demonstrate Pollock’s commitment to serious theatre in which important social, ethical and psychological questions are raised, and to theatre where innovation or experimentation with form and structure are embraced.”
Dr Sherrill Grace, “Introduction” Sharon Pollock Three Plays

Selected plays
In alphabetical order by title:

Angel's Trumpet
Blood Relations
Death in the Family
Doc
End Dream
Fair Liberty's Call
Getting It Straight
Moving Pictures
Saucy Jack
Walsh

To request a copy of any of these plays please contact the playwright directly by email

To inquire about performance rights for any of these plays please contact the playwright directly by email

Angel's Trumpet
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON
"Three Plays Sharon Pollock" orders@playwrightscanada.com

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: One act
Length: 85 mins
Total actors required: 4
Men: 2
Women: 2

Synopsis:
The turbulent relationship between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald is encapsulated in a meeting with Zelda's psychiatrist. Scott, suspicious of the doctor's relationship with his wife, and on the verge of breakdown himself, demands that Zelda assume her role of wife and mother and that her literary ambitions be diagnoised as evidence of her escalating mental deterioration. While the psychiatrist attempts to mediate, the couple square off against each other using as their weapons the events of their past, present, and eventually their projected future. The struggle between these two passionate and talented individuals is underscored by the tapping of a typewriter's keys as a stenographer documents the meeting.

Playwright's note: On May 28,1933 Zelda Sayre and her husband Scott Fitzgerald had such a meeting with her psychiatrist at Scott s request. He had also demanded the presence of a stenographer to document the proceedings. Since 1930 Zelda had been in and out of mental institutions, her artistic ambitions diagnosed as self-deceptions. That self deception was seen by Scott as a threat to his own writing, their livelihood. and Zelda's mental health. "Angel's Trumpet" is what I make of this meeting.

Production History:
Theatre Junction, Artistic Director Mark Lawes, directed by Sharon Pollock 1993

Notes:
"a wild conjugal battle in the savage tradition of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolfe"
Martin Morrow; The Globe and Mail

"an intriguing glimpse into the troubled lives of two literary icons"
Lisa Wilton The Calgary Sun

Return to list

Blood Relations
by Sharon Pollock

Published by NeWest Press Edmonton AB.
Blood Relations and Other Plays

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 110 mins
Total actors required: 7
Men: 3
Women: 4

Synopsis:
On a hot muggy day 1892 in Fall River an unknown person took an axe and gave a number of whacks to Andrew Borden and his wife Abigail. Andrew's youngest daughter Lizzie was acquitted of the double murder but acquittal did nothing to dispel suspicions. Did she or didn't she? still reverberates.
1902. While sister Emma sulks upstairs Miss Lizzie entertains an intimate actress friend from Boston, Nance O Neill. She playfully teases, tempts, goads, and challenges Miss Lizzie to reveal her guilt or innocence. Miss Lizzie dances around a direct answer but suggests a game in which the Actress will play Lizzie with background information Miss Lizzie provides and what the Actress may deduce from that information. Miss Lizzie will play Bridget the Maid who was with Lizzie in the house on the day the Bordens died. The game generates the entrance of other characters who played a pivotal role in the murders and trial. What begins as a game directed by Miss Lizzie gains momentum from the Actress interpretation of Lizzie's story . As Nance gains control of the game and the story a murderer is revealed but the question remains Oh Lizzie, you didn't did you?

Production History:
The National Arts Centre Artistic Director John Wood, directed by John Wood 1981

Notes:
Governor General's Literary Award for Drama 1981

"The play teases, and ultimately haunts, shifting and shimmering like a kaleidoscope"
Brian Brennan - The Calgary Herald

"a psychological study so subtle and penetrating that it sets off endless reverberations in performance."
The Montreal Gazette

Return to list

Death in the Family
by Sharon Pollock

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 110 mins
Total actors required: 6
Men: 3
Women: 3

Synopsis:
A prairie gothic mystery revolving around the intertwined lives of two rural families. Three motherless children, Gerald, Renee and Gillie Havard and neighbour Peter Semchuk were childhood playmates; Renee and Pete high school sweethearts; Gerald and Pete best friends, together joining the army during the latter years of World War II. Everything changed however with Gerald s death in Italy and Pete's return with Rose, his English war bride.

The play opens in 1970. Renee Harvard has grown into an eccentric raw-boned woman, fiercely protective of Gillie who is simple and child-like. The two share a dark secret and are isolated from neighbours; Renee viewed as weird, Gillie as crazy. A blizzard forces Pete, Rose, and daughter Anne to seek refuge at the decaying Havard farm. They arrive with a badly beaten young man found near his abandoned car. The stranger believes the Havards hold the answer to a question he must have answered. He insists Gillie, who still lurks outside, has attacked him. The characters, trapped by the storm as well as by a distraught and increasingly violent Gillie, must confront and expose the truth of births, deaths and disappearances if they are to alleviate the pain of guilt and misunderstandings.

Production History:
The Garry Theatre Artistic Director Sharon Pollock; directed by Rick McNair 1993

Notes:
"a darkly poetic exercise in the mystery genre with gunshots in the night, an unseen watcher and explosive violence"
L. Warren - Connection

"a compelling evening's entertainment about love, hate and death."
Les Roberts - BackStage

Return to list

Doc
by Sharon Pollock

Published by broadview drama Peterborough ON.
customerservice@broadviewpress.com

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 110 mins
Total actors required: 5
Men: 2
Women: 3

Synopsis:
When Catherine, after a long absence, returns home on the eve of ceremonies honouring her physician father she unleashes a kaleidscope of memories as father and daughter attempt to lay old ghosts to rest. Public service has been the keynote of Doc's life. He has worked to provide medical care for the poor having risen from poverty himself. "Never had a pot to piss in" he says, " lived on porridge and molasses and had to fight for every god damn thing I got!" It seems his achievement, however, has come at a price. Catherine finds her father isolated and alone, but as driven and combative as ever despite a recent heart attack. Catherine, no shrinking violet herself, and Doc confront each other in a no-holds- barred revelation of family secrets. They interact with figures from the past which include Bob, Doc's wife and Catherine's mother; Uncle Oscar,Doc's best friend; and Catherine herself as the young child Katie. Humour leavens this drama of a father and daughter's struggle to love, to forgive, and to understand in order to go on.

Production History:
Theatre Calgary, commissioned by Artistic Director Rick McNair; directed by Guy Sprung 1984

Notes:
Governor General's Literary Award for Drama 1986.

"an emotional steamroller of a play"
Robert Crew; Toronto Star

"a finely tuned emotional jigsaw puzzle"
Louis Hobson; Calgary Sun

"a strong personal statement with universal implications"
Brian Brennan; Calgary Herald

Return to list

End Dream
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON
"Three Plays Sharon Pollock" orders@playwrightscanada.com

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 110 mins
Total actors required: 5
Men: 3
Women: 2

Synopsis:
End Dream, set in 1924, plays out the haunting inner and outer world of Janet Smith, a young Scottish nanny recently employed by the Clarke-Evans, members of their city's social and political elite. Janet confronts a household beset by mysterious activities, secret assignations, and sadistic game playing. Perhaps, as her employers insist, such dealings exist only in Janet's mind. A potential friend, were she able to overcome her prejudice, is the Chinese house boy, Wong Foon Sing, but even he is unable to prevent the tragic result of Janet's search for answers.

Historical note: On a hot July day in Vancouver, BC 1924 a young Scottish nanny was found dead in her employer's basement. Rumors circulated regarding her employer's possible involvement in the drug trade and the nanny's awareness of it. However the racism of the era made inevitable the accusation of murder against a Chinese servant in the household. Perhaps not so predictable was his kidnapping, torture, and detention for 6 weeks by hooded men, later revealed to be members of the local constabulary. The Chinese houseboy was eventually charged and acquitted. The question of murder or suicide remained unanswered.

Production History:
Theatre Junction, Artistic Director Mark Lawes; directed by Sharon Pollock 2000

Notes:
"a mesmerizing drama, a love story, a mystery, and a beautiful piece of writing"
Bob Clark; The Calgary Herald

"End Dream is a tantalizing treat for murder mystery buffs and history fans"
Lisa Wilton; The Calgary Sun

Return to list

Fair Liberty's Call
by Sharon Pollock

Published by broadview drama Peterborough ON.
customerservice@broadviewpress.com

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 120 mins
Total actors required: 8
Men: 5
Women: 3

Synopsis:
Late October 1785. A Loyalist family that has fled from Boston to New Brunswick hosts a reunion to commemorate the fall of Yorktown. The family is joined by two other veterans and their former Black scout who comes with news of the murder of one of their comrades. When a stranger arrives they assume him to be a former Loyalist soldier and invite him to join their rough ceremony honouring their service with Tarleton's Loyalist Legion. However the stranger soon reveals that he is a Rebel soldier. At gunpoint he demands justice for his brother who was killed in a massacre of surrendering Rebel soldiers at the Waxhaws. He gives the party until dawn to choose one of their number for execution. As the Loyalists attempt to debate who among them is least worthy to live, each is forced to confront their own actions and conscience, and to consider questions of justice and loyalty.

Production History:
The Stratford Festival Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre, commissioned by Artistic Director David William; directed by Guy Sprung. 1993

Notes:
"A dramatic gem combining history, poetry and mystery into a look at the human condition...both entertaining and informative"
H. J. Kirchhoff; The Globe and Mail

"Powerful and provocative , , , one of Pollock's most absorbing and communicative works"
Jamie Portman; The Windsor Star.

Return to list

Getting it Straight
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON.
"Voice of Her Own" orders@playwrightscanada.com

Style: One Person Show
Number of Acts: One Act
Length: 70 mins
Total actors required: 1
Men: 0
Women: 1

Synopsis:
Eme, diagnosed as a schizophrenic, has fled an institutional outing to a rodeo by requesting a visit to the ladies. In making her get-away she fears she has injured her nurse escort. She hides amongst the litter of lost items and garbage under the bleachers of the grandstand. In her mind's eye she see others with whom she interacts. Her mind is filled to overflowing with bits and pieces of fragmented memories, dreams, nightmares, stories from childhood; she relives domestic and institutional experiences. Bizarre events and global tragedies compete with images from TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. All are interspaced with moments of lucidity. Eme thinks of “the real and unreal shuffledlike a deck of cards!" "Play the hand!” she says. She is determined to “get it straight”. But in her struggle to figure it out it seems as if true madness lies in the outside world while her perception of it represents a greater sanity. Terrifying scientific advances, an horrific discovery in her husband's briefcase, her fear for her own and the world's children compel her to take some kind of action.

Note: Eme's monologue is a free flowing stream of consciousness with little punctuation in the text.

Production History:
International Women's Festival, Winnipeg MA. Directed by Rick McNair 1989

Additional Notes:
"Pollock has successfully negotiated an invisible, shuddering tightrope"
Winnipeg Free Press

"a remarkable poetic achievement ... impassioned, direct, personal and dynamic"
Stephen Pedersen - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax

Return to list

Moving Pictures
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Playwrights Canada Press Toronto ON.
"Sharon Pollock Three Plays " orders@playwrightscanada.com

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: One Act
Length: 90 mins
Total actors required: 6
Men: 3
Women: 3

Synopsis:
Nell Shipman as a young actress hammed her way across North America in the early 1900's. She was a hit in silent films, established an independent production company and made movies in which strong women played principal roles. But as movie making shifted from art to industry the precepts that guided Nell to success became threats to her life as well as her career.

Confronting death the elderly Shipman accuses herself of sacrificing everything to her art, and achieving nothing. Her younger selves, the actress Helen, and the filmmaker Nell, disagree. They command Shipman to "Play!" key events in her life for the creation of story has been Shipman's love and escape; through story-telling meaning will be found. Shipman refuses but as Helen and Nell create their own versions of her life she is forced to play to counter their sugar-coated depictions.

Two Men, always on stage, play various roles, ultimately controlling the parameters of Shipman's life. Thomas Edison's words "the illusion of continuous movement through persistence of vision" echo in Shipman's mind throughout the play. She interprets them as descriptions of her art form, the medium of film, and as commentary and negative judgment of her choices

Production History:
Theatre Junction Artistic Director: Mark Lawes; commissioned by Silvership Productions, developed by Guardian Spring Productions; directed by Brian Richmond 1999

Additional Notes:
"extraordinary in every respect run, fly, swim to see Moving Pictures the best of Canadian theatre."
Anne Nothof

"dramatizes the artist's painful struggle to make sense of her life and of her failure to survive the ruthless politics and economic monopolies of the emerging Hollywood studio system."
Sherrill Grace - Sharon Pollock Three Plays

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Saucy Jack
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Blizzard Press; available through Talonbooks Burnaby, BC

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 100 mins
Total actors required: 4
Men: 3
Women: 1

Synopsis:
Saucy Jack pieces together the puzzle of the Whitechapel murders through the shattered fog-choked brain of James Kenneth Stephen, Cambridge tutor of the Duke of Clarence, Albert Victor, grandson of Queen Victoria and an heir to the British throne. A close relationship once existed between Stephen and Eddy, as the Duke was known. Stephen suffers from an old head injury and is in a dubious mental state. He may be the killer, Eddy s accomplice, or simply stark raving mad. In any case he has a desperate need to renew his friendship with his former student and to confirm or disprove his own fearful suspicions regarding his and Eddy's role in the Ripper murders. To achieve this end he has hired Kitty, a London actress, to assist him by impersonating each of the five victims. However a presence emerges through Kitty and her role-playing that is haunting, disturbing, and increasingly more potent. The stakes are raised with the arrival of Montague Druitt, a current friend of Eddy's. The men's friendship is severely tested which leads to duplicity, betrayal and ultimately murder. Only Kitty, with her prophecy of rough justice, remains unscathed.

Production History:
The Garry Theatre, Artistic Director Sharon Pollock; directed by Sharon Pollock 1993

Additional Notes:
"a thumping good thriller and a drama with some intellectual meat to it"
Martin Morrow - The Calgary Herald

"solid and chilling ... each twist and turn in "Saucy Jack" becomes a taut examination of psychological intrigue."
NeWest Review

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Walsh
by Sharon Pollock

Published by Talonbooks Burnaby BC

Style: Drama
Number of Acts: Two Acts
Length: 120 mins
Total actors required: 15
Men: 12
Women: 3

Synopsis:
“Honour, truth … the lot … they’re just words, Harry. They
don’t exist. I gave my life to them, and they don’t exist.”
Walsh tracks the relationship between Major James Walsh of the North West Mounted Police and Sitting Bull during the Hunkpapa Sioux's five years in Canada where they had fled after the battle at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Walsh was well loved by his men, sympathetic to the plight of the Natives within his jurisdiction, and critical of Canadian government policies towards them. He admired the Sioux's fortitude and Sitting Bull's statesmanship. Respect and friendship grew between the two men. Because of this Walsh comes under increasing pressure from his superiors. He is torn between his sincere desire to support Sitting Bull in his legal arguments to remain in Canada and the Canadian government's desire to appease the American government by forcing Sitting Bull and the Hunkpapa back across the line. Walsh eventually capitulates to orders from Ottawa under threat of losing his command, however his betrayal of Sitting Bull sows cynicism, corruption and impotence in the career he had hoped to preserve.
Note: Some double casting possible.

Production History:
Stratford Festival Theatre, Third Stage
Artistic Director Michael Bawtree; directed by John Wood 1974

Additional Notes:
"There are occasions in the theatre rare and therefore all the more cherished when indefinable magic pervades the space and you are moved to pity, indignation, even tears. Walsh is such an occasion."
Audrey M. Ashley - Ottawa Citizen

"An excellent play!"
Doug Bale - London Free Press

"The colour of the red coats in Walsh is not the colour of Rose Marie or even the Union Jack. It is a faded dusty unspectacular red, the true colour of one of the saddest episodes in the history of the Canadian West."
Herbert Whittaker - The Globe and Mail

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