Why I am Boycotting Factory Theatre
When Ken Gass was dismissed, it would make sense for someone like me to say “Aha! Nowʼs our chance! Down with the old guard! Letʼs fill in that position with someone younger and more relevant who will revolutionize this town and bring new art to a new era for Factory.” But I know that wonʼt happen...
by Matthew MacFadzean
I am a grumbler. I donʼt like a lot of shows, donʼt understand why most people are in charge of the theatres theyʼre in charge of, heck itʼs hard to even get me out to see stuff anymore. I think theatre in this town needs an enema. It needs new leadership. It needs change. It needs to return to what theatre once was: an evolving artform, rather than a stale ʻwayʼ of constructing a play: fill out the form, check the right boxes, and give it a nice one word title, hopefully an aspect of the human personality like “Shame” or “Dignity.” People will come. And then they can say they stood up and clapped at a play this season, and the theatres will pat themselves on the back because they “appealed to their subscriber base once again” and the cycle continues. This is Toronto theatre. See? Grumbler. So, following this, when Ken Gass was dismissed, it would make sense for someone like me to say “Aha! Nowʼs our chance! Down with the old guard! Letʼs fill in that position with someone younger and more relevant who will revolutionize this town and bring new art to a new era for Factory.” But I know that wonʼt happen, and realize that Boards think financially, not artistically. Hereʼs what the Board of Factory theatre WILL do. They will hire someone safe and secure (and stupid, given how much the community will demonize them following this mess) who will guarantee a larger subscription base and turn Factory into something “more like Tarragon, if you could please.” But I digress. I did not join this boycott because of my opinion of Toronto theatre.
