Sharon Pollock - Career As A Playwright

Career As A Playwright

Having discovered her passion and talent for writing, Pollock wrote her first full-length play, A Compulsory Option, a dark comedy about three men whose paranoia might be realistic. A Compulsory Option premiered in 1972 and was the first production by Vancouver’s New Play Centre, they play also won an Alberta Culture playwriting competition. In November 1973 Pollock premiered her second full-length play Walsh at Theatre Calgary. In Walsh Pollock dramatizes one of the most disturbing events in Canadian history, that of the injustices done to the Sioux Nation in 1877-1881. In Walsh, The Komagata Maru Incident and One Tiger to a Hill, Pollock examines historic events and tells them in a way that the audience will question the reality between the official story and what is shown on stage.

Throughout her career Pollock continues to use history, that of Canada, such as in Whiskey Six Cadenza (1983), Fair Liberty’s Call (1993), or End Dream (2000); as well as her own personal history in plays such as Generations (1980), or Doc (1984) as fuel for her plays.

Blood Relations (1980) is one of Pollock’s most well known and influential plays. Blood Relations premiered at Theatre Three in Edmonton in March 1980. Originally written as My Name is Lisbeth which premiered in 1976 at the Vancouver Playhouse, Blood Relations is the story of Lizzie Borden, based on historical facts. Lizzie Borden supposedly murdered her father and stepmother. Pollock explores the meaning of the effect that it would have on this community if Lizzie Borden was in fact a murder. While the play does touch on feminist issues, Pollock was criticized for making it less of a feminist play and more of a general political play.

Throughout Pollock’s playwright career, her strong opinions about Canadian theatre motivated her to create a theatre of her own. Her hopes were that she could create a place for artistic talent to flourish and provide diversity She wanted the Garry Theatre to be ‘created by artists for artists.’

The Garry Theatre opened in 1995 in the lower income area of Calgary. Pollock is so passionate about theatre that she was adamant that The Garry not pay her royalties. She was adamant about people from all walks of life having the opportunity to experience theatre that if you could not afford a ticket you were still invited to view the plays. Prior to the opening of the Garry Theatre, Pollock worked as the artistic director at the Theatre Calgary in 1984 as well at The New Brunswick Theatre in 1988. She left both of these jobs because of a difference of opinions. She strongly disagreed with the ‘institutionalization’ of the theatre and the direction it was heading.