Modern Canadian Plays

Professor of English and theater at the University of British Columbia, Jerry Wasserman has written and lectured widely on Canadian theater, modern fiction, dramatic literature, theater history, and blues music; edited the two-volume anthology Modern Canadian Plays, a standard course text now in its fifth edition; made more than two hundred appearances on stage, film, and television; and served for more than fifteen years as a drama critic on CBC Radio. He is currently the editor of Vancouverplays.com, an informative Web site that provides up-to-date listings and reviews of local theater performances. Wasserman grew up in New York City and attained an M.A. in English from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Cornell, specializing in twentieth-century literature and drama. He started teaching at the University of British Columbia in 1972; though his initial research focus was on fiction, his work in the theater as an actor soon led him to teach mainly drama courses, eventually creating a course in Canadian drama.In addition to his scholarly accomplishments, Wasserman continues to maintain a busy career as an actor. A seasoned veteran on the Vancouver theater scene, he has also appeared in numerous feature films and major television series.