Theatre is magic for me! Even as a child I was fascinated by the interplay of lights, music, and the mesmerizing performance of actors effortlessly navigating the stage. Theatre became a spectacle when I saw a single woman on stage captivating the attention of hundreds of audiences. Since then, I have been fascinated by this act of a person taking me through an emotional rollercoaster single-handedly. It was my supervisor, Dr. B. Hariharan, who introduced me to Canadian solo performance, and Hannah Moscovitch did the rest! I applied for the Mitacs Globalink Research Fellowship, with the aim of watching performances and reading more books to help my thesis advance further from my fascination for Hannah’s work.  

  There were a couple of circumstances or interactions which refined my perspective about solo performance and Canadian Theatre. The first of these was attending the Toronto Fringe Festival. It was my first theatre experience in Canada and I watched as many plays as I could. Since it was fringe, I had the opportunity to witness a diverse range of performances and engage with audiences in amazing conversations. In one such conversation, a costume designer from Manitoba (forgot her name) told me, “We have to keep telling our stories until everyone is heard and the ground is levelled. That’s why we fringe!” There is something so democratic about fringe festival, which reminded me of all the odds “Canadian” theatre had to fight to survive. 

  This was followed by a rigorous reading stage, for which I thank Dr. Marlis Schweitzer, my supervisor at York, for the elaborate list of texts she suggested. Two activities unfolded simultaneously in my research journey: reading all available literature and making a list of people to interview. After reading each text, I took notes and added reminders for future reference. The number of books kept increasing, and with it, my grasps of the bigger picture became increasingly challenging. While research is a sort of madness, Dr. Schweitzer helped me to bring ‘method’ to it. She introduced me to a system where I could create a table and input all the information and my critical understanding of the books. This provided me with a steady framework and ensured that the bigger picture remained in sight. 

  I got the opportunity to interview people related to theatre, ranging from playwrights and performers to academics and journalists. The primary aim of these interviews was to understand the history of women’s solo performance in Canada. Talking to individuals with years of experience in theatre proved more helpful than relying exclusively on books. One such historian, Rebecca Burton changed my perspective about feminist theatre history of Canada. Prior to the interview, I believed that the significant changes in feminist theatre in Canada occurred after the Rita Fraticelli report. However, she guided me through the history and presence of feminist theatre before the report, highlighting that the early plays not only addressed nationalism but also the social changes affecting women’s lives. Her understanding of historical research methodology has inspired my thesis. As a playwright, Yolanda Bonnell left a lasting impression on me. I was fascinated by her play bug. I had the privilege of interviewing her after my return to India. The conversation which was supposed to end in an hour extended to two and a half hours, as Yolanda shared insights into her writing and its resonance with the audience. We had lengthy discussions about colonialism, racism, casteism and indigenizing theatre practices in India and Canada. It was a pleasure to hear her speak about her community, the manidoons collective and theatre in Canada.

  Research is also the community that you built along the way. What an amazing research community I had at York! The Sensorium by School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design introduced me to the research community there. They made me feel right at home and helped me connect with theatre artists for interviews. I am grateful to everyone who responded to the interview requests, those who generously shared their time amidst busy schedules, and those who patiently waited for me when I got lost in downtown for the nth time. Among the many remarkable individuals I met Annie Gibson, the publisher of Playwright Canada Press, stands out. She facilitated numerous connections for me and generously gifted me books that I will never be able to repay her for.   During my fellowship, I have realised that research is a democratic process which thrives on conversations within an all-inclusive academic and artistic community, anchored by a reliable and consistent methodology.