Theatre into television: Theory and practice in English Canadian drama, 1952 to 1987

The thesis examines the history and dramaturgy of producing stage plays on Canadian television from 1952 to 1987, focusing particularly on how the practical and technological demands of television production have affected creative interpretation in selected productions of English Canadian stage drama.; In the first chapter, the differences between theatre, television and film are examined, concentrating on how each medium produces different effects on an audience's perceptions which create different kinds of imaginative engagement and, in turn, determine different modes and forms of representation.; The historical development of television technology and production practices and their effects on the televisual interpretation of stage plays are examined in the second chapter.; The study then turns to close examination of historical periods and productions, beginning with the fifties and sixties, the period of live and live-to-tape production. During this time, a tension developed between the limitations of live studio production and viewers' expectations for a visual display closer to the realism and flexibility of film. Through close analyses of the television versions of Robertson Davies' At My Heart's Core, John Coulter's Riel and James Reaney's One Man Masque, the dramaturgical problems created by this tension are explored.; In the mid-seventies, the outpouring of new plays in Canada's alternative theatres prompted the CBC to appoint John Hirsch as Head of Television Drama and to revive the tradition of producing stage plays for television. Initially, a lack of experience with new video production techniques resulted in a continuation of the conventional live studio practices. This created difficulties for the productions of the collectively created plays Ten Lost Years and The Farm Show since the theatricality of these performances demanded a radically new approach.; Continuing with the Hirsch years, the study then considers the dramaturgical problems that arise when stage plays originally influenced by the conventions of film and television are subsequently adapted to television. Analyses of David French's Of the Fields, Lately and Carol Bolt's One Night Stand demonstrate how certain structural problems in these plays, created by the original influences of film and television, are paradoxically magnified in the television versions.; The creation of more stylized or theatrical forms of television drama are explored in the video productions of 1837: The Farmers' Revolt by Rick Salutin and Billy Bishop Goes to War by John Gray. To different degrees, both translations demonstrate how redefining television's means of representation provides innovative solutions for the dramaturgical problems of producing stage plays on television.; The conclusion looks at how the current trend toward narrowcasting and the future development of high definition television may affect video productions of stage plays in Canada. The study concludes that stage plays on television are less effective when producers try to adjust the drama to fit the medium and are more successful when the medium's means of representation are redefined to suit the nature of the dramatic performance.