Habitat Essay & Criticism

Habitat Critical Overview

Judith Thompson enjoys an excellent critical reputation in English-speaking Canada. Although it was widely criticized in its initial reviews, her first play The Crackwalker eventually brought her praise and notoriety in Canada. As her career progressed, Thompson's plays also began to be produced in the United States, where they have generally not been received as warmly as in Canada. In addition to her prominent career as a playwright, Thompson is a successful writer for film, television, and radio.

Habitat was moderately successful in Canada, receiving fairly positive reviews. In the United States, however, reviews were more mixed. In his review of the United States premiere of the play at the Epic Theater in New York, Ron Cohen writes in Back Stage that Thompson's "well-defined characters and sharply written dialogue—if sometimes a bit too heavy-handed—are permeated with her passion for the subject." Cohen then goes on to list some of...
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