shows and that sort of got me excited.” He has stated that he was also inspired by Chinese theatre he had read about. The Farm Show is arguably the most significant collective creation in TPM’s history. In 1972, Thompson and a group of actors went out into farming country around Clinton in southwestern Ontario. They lived with the farmers, worked with them, watched them and learned their stories. Then Thompson, who had been raised in farm country, required his actors to create a play, each being responsible for his or her own part. It was part of an idea that became a theme in later work: to help Canadians find new heroes and to move away from the Davy Crockett types. The impact of The Farm Show was guaranteed by the fact that the community the show was built around saw it first and received it positively. The show premiered in the same barn the actors used for rehearsals. It was a terrific success and went on to tour. Developing Canadian Theatre Since its inception, Passe Muraille has mentored and provided space and support to emerging theatre artists companies. In 1973, Thompson started a production-oriented "seed-show" programme. During his term, Clarke Rogers started a script-oriented New Works programme and most recently, current Artistic Director Andy McKim opened the theatre's doors to anyone with new ideas for Passe Muraille's new Five-minute Pitch programme. Many successful alternative theatre companies developed within Passe Muraille's walls. Buddies in Bad Times, which is committed to supporting LBGT voices, the feminist Nightwood Theatre, Newfoundland's CODCO, Necessary Angel Company and the Blyth Summer Festival, among others, all had their beginnings with TPM. Many well-known performers, writers and theatre artists, including Eric Peterson, David Fox, Mary Walsh, Rick Salutin and Linda Griffiths worked with Passe Muraille early in their careers. Writers Ann-Marie MacDonald, Michael Ondaatje, Maria Campbell and Timothy Findley have all staged plays at Passe Muraille. Theatre Space Theatre Passe Muraille's 1975 production of "I Love You, Baby Blue" was seen by over 26 000 people before it was closed by the police. Charges brought against the theatre for "immorality" were thrown out of court for lack of evidence. However, the success of the production was profitable enough for the company to put a down payment on a permanent theatre space. The company remains one of only a handful of non-for-profit theatres in Toronto that own the