In Hot Thespian Action! Robin Whittaker argues that newplays can thrive in amateur theatres, which have freedoms unavailableto professionalized companies. And he proves it with 10 relevant,engaging playscripts originally produced by one of Canada'slongest-running theatres, Edmonton's acclaimed Walterdale TheatreAssociates.

This collection challenges notions that amateur theatre is solely aphenomenon of the pre-professional past. Whittaker makes an importantcontribution to Canadian theatre studies with the first North Americananthology in 80 years to collect plays first produced by anonprofessionalized theatre company.