Berto_Tony_201307_PhD .pdf - University of Guelph

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explained earlier in this chapter, it is the sexual aspects of gay representations that appear to
be the most disruptive to some audiences. Thus at the conservative end of the range of
representations, gay characters’ sex lives tend to be less addressed, less visible, and, if
referenced, may be elided or de-emphasised. At the progressive end, gay sex tends to be
overt, discussed, celebrated and in some cases, performed on stage. This spectrum does not
mean that the appearance of gay characters with little or no reference to their sexuality do
not have value. Gay characters on stage, when signified through a variety of means other
than sexuality, still increase public awareness of gays and contribute to inclusion.
This situation offers the theatre as a place where two opposing value systems appear
to be at work, and are manifested in a spectrum of expectation across a range of conditions.
These conditions map the conservative representations of gay characters with mainstream
theatrical production, where risk is highest, and the sexually engaged end of the spectrum
with fringe theatre, where risks are generally lower.
The Mainstream to the Fringe
This section offers contexts and details to offer insight into the range of theatrical
production in Canada in relation to the mainstream. I use the word “mainstream” here to
identify part of a range of theatrical production. For this study I have divided this range into
five sections based on parameters of professionalism, financial and government investment,
programming, audience and location. None of these parameters on its own defines a kind of
theatre and its place in relation to the mainstream, but in concert, these parameters construct
and reflect a working definition of mainstream theatre. The categories in this range are
neither absolute nor complete. 2 However for the purposes of locating gay plays and their
relationship to the mainstream, these categories function well.