| This thesis traces the influence of the development of Marxist theory on the development of political theatre. It demonstrates that the continuing failure of Marxism to deliver its promised proletarian revolution led Western Marxists to increasingly focus their attentions on capitalism's social and cultural superstructure, and led some Marxist theorists to reject realism—the earliest form of a critical, political theatre—in favour of avant-garde, anti-realistic forms. It argues that the political avant-garde received further sustenance from poststructuralism, and then considers the influence of avant-garde, Marxist and poststructuralist theory on a prominent Canadian academic, a respected Canadian theatre professional, and Canadian theatre in general. |
