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Brief Biography
http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Rebar%2C%20Kelly
Wasserman, J. Modern Canadian Plays. Vancouver: Talon Books, 2012. 325327.
1956 - Born in Lethbridge, Alberta
- Grew up in Calgary
1974- Chatters produced in 1974 at Factory Theatre West in
Calgary
1974
- Graduated from York University (Film Studies)
1981- Checkin’ Out northern Light Theatre, Edmonton
A solid hit, still popular, toured.
“off-beat comedy about young, small-town Albertans
struggling with low self-esteem and thwarted personal
ambition” (325).
Characters show fear of change
ambience about leaving home.
Winnipeg
First Snowfall
Family drama set in Saskatchewan
Playwright-in-Residence
All Over the Map
A childrens’ play
1987 - Bordertown Café
Then re-written for the Prairie Theatre Exchange and remounted
1988- Produced again at Blyth Festival
1990- Won Canadian Authors’ Association Award
1991 - Cornflower Blue (Memories From A Prairie Childhood), toured throughout
Ontario and Manitoba.
1993- Turned into a major film directed by Norm Bailey
Television and Film
Television series:
Wind at My Back
Jake and the Kid
She has adapted several of Alice Munro’s short
stories, including the television feature based on
Lives of Girls and Women (1994).
Now lives in Nelson, B.C.
Themes
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Ambivalence
Identity and detachment
Inability to communicate
Lack of self-worth
Humour
Ambivalence
• Jimmy: “If he’s picking me up for a haul, I
can’t go with him. Grandpa and me got a crop
to get off” (329).
• Jimmy (throughout): “Mum, I got the money.
I’ll do it for ya” (331) re. redecorating the
house. - He eventually does it (256).
• Jimmy: Should he stay or should he go?
Ambivalence (cont’d)
• Marlene: “… and just ‘cause I - I say no
doesn’t mean I always mean it” (334).
• Jimmy: (re. station or restaurant) “You wanna
turn a profit, you gotta go one way or the
other. Which no one in this family can ever
do” (349).
Identity and Detachment
• Marlene (Canada) vs. Maxine (U.S.)
• Marlene (ex-wife) vs. Linda (new wife)
• Jimmy: “I get in her way around here, okay.
I’m far too large. For my body. That kinda
thing … “. And “That;s how we are - they are
– they need the security. The emotional
security” (337).
• Max and Jim live apart (sort of).
Identity and Detachment (cont’d)
• Jimmy: “American, Canadian - back and forth
- like it mattered what a guy was - Why
couldn’t I have been born in Australia,
nowhere near the American border?” (344).
(Note humour also)
Inability to Communicate
• Maxine and Marlene go off on separate conversations. (335)
• Maxine: (Finally says something definite) “Tell your Max you’re not
going down there, tell her you wanna stay home. (hugs him)” (351)
• Marlene:”… When I got something to say, I can’t say it to you. …
“(whole speech) (355)
• Conversation between Jimmy and Jim on pages 356 – 357. Jimmy
learns about Jim and hears him tell him to “get yourself in the
driver’s seat … take control of your life” 357).
• See p. 342-343. for text of
Inability to communicate
See p. 342-343. for text
Lack of Self-worth
Guilt
• Marlene: “Didn’t, Jimmy, didn’t. Should
change it to my name. … “ (329).
• Jimmy: “Mr. Humiliation, still waitin’ on his
off-and-on dad to turn up, and take him on a
haul” (330).
• Jimmy: “…me, I sleep in, mouth off, and let
Granddad talk me into havin’ Friday off. …”
(321).
Guilt (cont’d)
• Marlene: “You’re sayin I’ve been too strict?
Well, that’s on my conscience from now ‘til
kingdom come ‘cept for everyone tells me I’m
not strict enough” (324).
• Marlene: “Why’d he have to see me lookin in
the window at those diamond earrings? (341).
• Jimmy: “Okay. This is the kind of total jerk I
am. … “ (343). Re. knowing about Linda
Guilt (cont’d)
• Jimmy: “How could I say that to her? …”
(353). Whole speech. - continued on 354
Humour
• Maxine: “We shoulda put booze in that kid’s
bottle when he was a baby and saved
ourselves a lot o’ trouble (358).
• Marlene: “… Jimmy Gonna and Marlene
Didn’t, we should move to Nashville and break
into an act” (330).
• Jim: “Don … he’s ready to have a son. Well,
that’s handy, …’ (339). (sarcastic, resentful??)
Humour (cont’d)
• Maxine: re. bilingual packaging.“ … Canadians
got real strong wrists, prepares ‘em for hockey
careers” (341). Also a hint at identity problem
here.
• Jimmy (replying to Maxine’s “America is not
the place you think it is. It’s not the place it
used to be.” - Yeah, it seems to have changed
an awful lot since this morning even” (347).