re, and opened in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The decision to open in the mid-west indicates the target audience. What is so engaging to the audience is looking back on the history of their lives and seeing themselves and their neighbors in the action portrayed onstage. The many themes contained within the play are additional evidence that the play was constructed for a specific group of people who would find it entertaining. The role of cooperation and the formation of co-ops in the mid-west are two of the central themes to Paper Wheat. In a scene entitled The Report in Act II, the audience listens to a monologue given by Ed Partridge in which he explains how the co-operative Grain Growers Grain Company is formed. Many of the audience members will remember the formation of this company and may still be prospering from it.Other themes that were relevant to the time period include the importance of education and knowledge, survival, determination, and hard work. All of these are important to the farmers. They have felt the struggle of starting new lives and fighting the injustice of the elevator agents. They have worked hard to build their farms and cultivate their lands. These themes are of interest to the target audience of Paper Wheat.The message of Paper Wheat becomes quite evident as the play progresses. The play begins by telling a story. A group of people move to Canada for various reasons, basically to begin new lives. They become wheat farmers in order to provide for themselves. As the play continues we realize that individually, these people are not able to survive on their own. They are faced with seasons of bad weather, the loneliness of being out in the middle of nowhere far from home, and powerful corporate businessmen who attempt to take advantage of them. Together, by pooling their knowledge and resources, they are able to overcome, and accomplish greater things. This is a very powerful message for the audien...
