Ensemble creation in Canada is a popular form of script development. It began essentially in the 1970’s with The Farm Show, and has become the site for much theoretical and critical discussion. The Electric Company Theatre began as an ensemble in 1996 and since then has created fascinating productions with a range of topics in both site specific and touring venues. Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla was a cornerstone piece for this group and existed in a number of incarnations before the script was eventually published in 2004 and the production toured again in 2006. This thesis examines how the Electric Company Theatre developed material for performance as an ensemble. I also discuss how the Electrics were influenced by the various resources they used in order to generate text and imagery for the production. Through these discussions, I argue that the collective creation product has a direct influence on the process. My research has mostly been conducted through interviews with company members, through research of their production history and script.

Ensemble creation in Canada is a popular form of script development. It began essentially in the 1970’s with The Farm Show, and has become the site for much theoretical and critical discussion. The Electric Company Theatre began as an ensemble in 1996 and since then has created fascinating productions with a range of topics in both site specific and touring venues. Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla was a cornerstone piece for this group and existed in a number of incarnations before the script was eventually published in 2004 and the production toured again in 2006. This thesis examines how the Electric Company Theatre developed material for performance as an ensemble. I also discuss how the Electrics were influenced by the various resources they used in order to generate text and imagery for the production. Through these discussions, I argue that the collective creation product has a direct influence on the process. My research has mostly been conducted through interviews with company members, through research of their production history and script.

Ensemble creation in Canada is a popular form of script development. It began essentially in the 1970’s with The Farm Show, and has become the site for much theoretical and critical discussion. The Electric Company Theatre began as an ensemble in 1996 and since then has created fascinating productions with a range of topics in both site specific and touring venues. Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla was a cornerstone piece for this group and existed in a number of incarnations before the script was eventually published in 2004 and the production toured again in 2006. This thesis examines how the Electric Company Theatre developed material for performance as an ensemble. I also discuss how the Electrics were influenced by the various resources they used in order to generate text and imagery for the production. Through these discussions, I argue that the collective creation product has a direct influence on the process. My research has mostly been conducted through interviews with company members, through research of their production history and script. / Arts, Faculty of / Theatre and Film, Department of / Graduate