Discovering the richness of Canadian theatre over the past two centuries or so should be the product of cultural histories. In Canada, such detailed studies are still scattered in a bewildering array of scholarly articles and original texts. Why should students of Canadian theatre have to search through rare book rooms to find, read, and act their own drama? This anthology offers a modest answer. It is a collection of 25 representative playwrights and their work, divided over six historical periods from 1606 to 2001. A brief, cultural overview of the era, notes on each playwright, and suggestions for staging are followed by four or five scenes from each period.