28 Facts About Sharon Pollock

Mary Sharon Pollock Chalmers was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on 19 April 1936, to Eloise and George Everett Chalmers.

Sharon Pollock's mother had been a nurse prior to marrying her father, a prominent local physician and political figure.

Sharon Pollock was raised in a family and time when appearances and family ties were extremely important; although her mother knew her father was unfaithful to her, she refused to leave him.

Sharon Pollock had a younger brother, Peter Chalmers, who was born 19 October 1937.

Sharon Pollock attended Charlotte Street Primary School and, for grades 9 and 10, Fredericton High School, where she was the president of the Drama Club.

Sharon Pollock's mother felt stifled in the role of housewife and was worn down by her husband's constant unfaithfulness.

Sharon Pollock met her future husband, Ross Pollock, at UNB where he was in his fifth year of the environmental forestry program.

Sharon Pollock joined a theatre group in Toronto, directing a handful of high school kids.

Sharon Pollock referred to this directing stint as "the blind leading the blind".

Ross openly abused his wife; Sharon Pollock admits attempting to kill him by grinding up high hormone level birth control pills and putting the powder into his food.

In 1964, after another violent physical attack by her husband, Sharon Pollock left Ross and returned to Fredericton with her five children.

Sharon Pollock hoped to be with her family, but it was not as she had left it.

Sharon Pollock's father had remarried and had two more children with his new wife.

Sharon Pollock found a job running the Playhouse Box Office.

Sharon Pollock followed Ball west, hoping that this move across Canada would allow her and her children the opportunity to start fresh, to leave the emotional baggage of her family behind her.

Shortly after, in 1967, Sharon Pollock joined the MAC 14 Theatre Society, which was the merge of The Musicians and Actors Club of Calgary and a theatre group called Workshop 14.

Sharon Pollock was tired of reproducing others' work and longed to hear a Canadian voice on stage.

Already in this first script Sharon Pollock is pushing the boundaries of the realist narrative.

Sharon Pollock followed this with two other Radioplays, 31 for 2 and We to the Gods both in 1971, all for CBC Radio.

In 1971, Sharon Pollock wrote her first full-length play, A Compulsory Option, a dark comedy about three men whose paranoia might be realistic.

In November 1973 Sharon Pollock premiered her second full-length play Walsh at Theatre Calgary.

Sharon Pollock explores the meaning of the effect that it would have on the community if Lizzie Borden was in fact a murderer.

Sharon Pollock hoped to create a place for artistic talent to flourish and provide diversity.

Sharon Pollock wanted the Garry Theatre to be 'created by artists for artists.

Sharon Pollock was so passionate about theatre that she was adamant that The Garry not pay her royalties.

Sharon Pollock wanted people from all walks of life to have the opportunity to experience theatre; if people could not afford tickets, they were still invited to view the plays.

Sharon Pollock left both of these jobs because of a difference of opinions.

Sharon Pollock strongly disagreed with the 'institutionalization' of the theatre and the direction it was heading.