Best of Fall 2012: Michael Healey on mounting his controversial play Proud

Playwright Michael Healey mounts his own production of Proud, the savage political satire that sparked a storm in the city’s theatre world

With Proud, you found yourself at odds with the Tarragon Theatre, where you were playwright-in-residence. They refused to put it on due to concerns about potential libel, so you resigned. Do you miss being there? The Tarragon was a great home for me. And it’s extremely chilly out here. For a dozen years I would write a play and nobody would tell me what kind of a play I should be writing, and when I was done, I could hand it over and reasonably expect somebody to put it on. That position is completely unique in Canadian theatre. I do miss it.

You’ve decided to take on the role of the Stephen Harper–like prime minister in Proud. You previously played George W. Bush. You seem to be into power. I really am. You can ask my wife and two-year-old twins how I wield power around our house—and how they completely disregard me.