Cat on a Hot Tin Roof steams up the Segal Center

I’ve been anxiously anticipating attending this play ever since I saw it announced in this season’s program at the Segal Center. I, like many others, only know the story that was portrayed in the 50’s film with Paul Newman and Liz Taylor. The first theatrical version (The original Broadway production directed by Elia Kazan opened in 1955 with Ben Gazzara as Brick, and Burl Ives as Big Daddy; Gazzara's understudy was Cliff Robertson.) and the film are different from the original text; the huge issue of homosexuality is obscured in the 50’s theatrical and film versions; queer was considered to be a career killer back in the day. In the Play, the character Brick is definitely concerned that other people might think he's ‘queer’. The above artists all went on to very successful careers in film and TV.
 
A revival in 1974 restored a lot of the text that had been removed by Kazan from the original. The Segal production fortunately for us is essentially the 1974 script. It is a story that revolves around inheritance. Like father like son… Big Daddy and Brick are both stuck in relationships with wives that love them, but they don’t love in return and wish they did; both are insecure with their masculinity and they don’t believe they are good enough to even deserve that love; both escape life, one though his drive for success, and one through the drive to the bottom of the bottle. The Play embodies all that defines the themes of: deceit, denial, greed, and manipulation.

Incredible casting, with flawless performances delivered from the whole ensemble, seamless direction, amazing set and costumes, as well as great sound and light design merit this production a very well deserved standing ‘O’ and a Dee Arr ‘Go C IT!’

Now for the PP = The Picky Pen. Just keeping it real!

The text could have done with a few edits of the repeating of the title in the text. Once was very clever, twice was enough, but I counted six times… way too many. I would like to see (Brick) portray his anxiousness with less hobbling and limping around the stage and more internalized physical traits that would gradually make their way to the surface with: ticks and twitches slurs and stutters. He could have messed up the bed once it had been made. He doesn’t have a voice that naturally carries well nor does the character's, so he needs to increase the projection when facing US and during the fireworks in Act 2. He reveals ‘barely’ enough teasing peaks at his incredible physique to accommodate the sexuality role. However a little more reveal wouldn’t hurt, this is the 21st century and ‘Montréal’, plus I’m sure it would be appreciated by the women in the audience (and some men too). Finally, his pajamas would be better if a darker color, burgundy (wine) or a golden (whiskey) tone and should be a smooth silky satiny textured material. For the sound effects watch the volume of the storm in particular.

FOH: Two intermissions is a lot… but if need be then limit them both to a maximum of 10 minutes each. I would suggest starting performances at 7:30pm when productions have a long running time of over 2:30, especially premiers. Patrons checking their coats should be warned that it can be drafty in some sections of the theatre depending on where they are seated.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams, opened Thursday, October 30th at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, 5170 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd., and continues through Nov. 16. Call 514-739-7944 or 514-790-1245 or www.segalcentre.org or www.admission.com.