Our Mission
Theatre of the Beat (TOTB) is a Canadian touring theatre company working to catalyze conversations on social justice and its intersection with the beliefs of the communities in which we find ourselves.
Since 2011, Theatre of the Beat has been staging change across North America (and The Netherlands) by creating original social justice theatre and workshops for underrepresented populations. Through an immersive cultural exchange of grassroots theatre, hospitality, and philosophy, the company empowers its audience to work towards a just future.
Our History
Founded by Johnny Wideman in 2011, Theatre of the Beat first hit the stage when it produced Rebecca Steiner's Gadfly: Sam Steiner Dodges the Draft in partnership with Conrad Grebel University College. Since that premiere, Theatre of the Beat has written, produced and toured over 15 different plays, created and facilitated multiple workshops around the themes of restorative justice, consent and social change. We have also gone on to partner with NGOs and Community Groups across Canada, all while employing a five person staff.
Theatre of the Beat has performed over 400 shows in theatres, festivals, churches, universities, and prisons throughout (almost) every Canadian province (we are still waiting on you Newfoundland!), The United States and The Netherlands.
Why “Beat”
The beatnik generation emerged during a time of overwhelming political confusion and social turmoil. Amidst an era of civil lethargy, consumerism and a strict adherence to the status quo, this group of young people lived out their beliefs in contradiction to the pervasive culture of their time.
The roots of the movement were split between two philosophies: poet Allen Ginsberg believed the word represented a people who were beaten down or oppressed, while writer Jack Kerouac found the word to have a much more spiritual connection, describing a radical group of people who lived out the teachings of the Beatitudes in unconventional ways.
In this way, Theatre of the Beat aims to create theatre that embodies the philosophies of this movement: creating space for avoided conversations, challenging that which goes unquestioned, giving voice to the beaten down, and creating art that wrestles with who we want to be in this world.
William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, photographed by Allen Ginsberg in his East Village living room, New York City, 1953.
Check Out Where We’ve Been
Founders
JOHNNY WIDEMAN
KIMBERLEE WALKER
BENJAMIN WERT
REBECCA STEINER