Our Counrty's Good

Timberlake Wertenbaker's "Our Country's Good" adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel 'The Playmaker'. Directed by Jacqueline Van de Geer.

Based on real events, this is an inspiring tale of the transforming power of theatre. A boatload of convicts lands in Australia in 1788, and a benevolent governor seizes on the notion of having convicts perform a restoration comedy entitled "The Recruiting Officer" a comedy by George Farquhar. 'A play with-in a play' would be performed by the Convicts of the Penal Settlement in honor of the King's Birthday, June 4th 1789. Themes highlight sexuality, punishment, and the Georgian judicial system. A rousing and boisterous theatrical journey, at times both funny and dark.

Wertenbarer's work often contains this format in which the characters are seen to use theatre to say things they otherwise could not say, or to tell a story or myth for a specific political purpose. The plays are often set in different time periods even though she questions the potency of the arts in contemporary culture. The central characters are often unconventional women who question traditional women's roles.

I had seen this play performed once before, a few years ago at the large D.B. Clark Theatre at Concordia. This production was performed at the Joliette womens prison the Saturday before the official opening. It was presented in the round in a gym, set up like a boxing ring; -This format was carried over to the theatre performance space. This challenge is met and overcome by the actors despite some very highly choreographed physical action scenes. A minimalist set design of a tree stump and a few twigs on the floor serve to create the space. The focus is on the text and the delivery of the performances by the well rounded talented cast. Taking on a variety of accents and multiple characters and genders the ensemble delve into this world taking the audience along with them. The overall direction is seamless and the use of space is very creative. In the over two hour play with intermission the time flies by as we're so focused on the action as the tale unfolds.

Featuring a large ensemble of actors, some playing multiple roles: Jonathan Marquis, Emila Xochitl, Bryn Dewar, Kimberley-Sue Murray, Travis Martin, Kevin Kibbey, Anne-Marie Saheb, Jaa Smith-Johnson, Mikaela Davies, Marc-André Poulin, Sarah Hansen, Shayne Devouges, Sophie Gee. Costume design by Heidi Haering & Laura Nhem. Sound design by Anders Velila; Light design by Jody Burkholder.

Produced by the newly formed Griffin Town Theatre. An ambitious 16 performances scheduled at Theatre Ste-Catherine 26 January - 7 February. Tickets: 15$ - 5$ 514 284-3939.

A View From The Bridge

Playwright Arthur Miller's classic A View From The Bridge -A glimpse into the lives, customs, passions, and conflicts of a New York Italian-American immigrant community living in the shadows of Brooklyn Bridge in the 1950's, is presented by The Montreal Theatre Ensemble. Directed by company artistic director Terry Donald... "The story is the examination of one mans obsession and what can happen when that obsession takes over."

While Arthur Miller (Death Of A Salesman; All My Sons; The Crucible) was researching the death of Pete Ponto, a longshoremen who was killed by the mob for attempted treason, he learned of story involving another longshoremen who had disappeared after giving up a family member to immigration to prevent the brother from marring his niece. It became a one Act play opening off-Broadway in 1955 with actor Jack Warden as Marco. It played for 149 performances as a double bill with 'A Memory of Two Mondays' and critics panned it as cold and un-engaging. It had been Miller's attempt to distance himself from psycho-realism creating a one act one arch Greek action play. -In a 'Brechtian' sense to reveal abstract ideas about the human condition. Miller reworked the play into a two act version expanding on some of the characters building up the neighborhood. It reopened on Broadway in 1965 to 780 performances. Assistant directed by Dustin Hoffman it featured a cast of 15 including Jon Voight as Rodolpho and Robert Duval as Eddie. It was later made into a film as a domestic melodrama directed by Sidney Lumet staring Maureen Stapleton as Beatrice Carbon. Although set in Brooklyn the filming was done in France.

The play is a tragic tale of family, conflict and betrayal in the true style of a Greek Tragedy. The raw clash of old world and new is brought to life on stage. the play allows the audience to look closely at what it is like to be a human being and how social conformity can challenge raw emotions. It's themes embody responsibility to community and oneself, the sinner versus the saint, and the true nature of humanity. As human beings we are all capable of great acts, weather good or bad, before judging the actions of someone else, think about how you would react if presented with the same set of circumstances. The story is a cautionary tale about Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman who lives in the Red Hook district of Brooklyn and his obsession with his young niece Catherine. He is an ordinary man driven by extraordinary circumstances.

Featuring an ensemble cast of 22 consisting primarily of the theatre company members as well as many John Abbott alumni including: Adam LeBlanc (Eddie), a profoundly riveting pitch perfect performance; Matthew Raudsepp (Rodolpho), a sensitive and sexy portrayal, with great comedic timing, and gets to show off his vocal singing chops; Peter Vrana (Marco), a powerful-masculine persona; Rebecca Croll (Beatrice), a giving submissive yet strong and determined portrayal; Christie Hebert (Catherine), fresh and innocent with a funny naivete; Christopher Moore (Mike), Jade Hassouné (Tony), Bill Fletcher (Alfieri), Leonardo Valente (Louis), Raphael Grosz-Harvey (Immigration Officer #1), and a dozen others in cameo and walk on roles.

This is as good as any production you'll see presented on any of the larger English Theatre stages in Montreal. Every element is treated with excellence and professional flare including Costumes, Set, Lighting and sound were all impeccable. The direction was equally precise with seamless transitions and great staging. My one and only qualm was with the staging of the final ending tableau; somewhat forced and melodramatic when compared to the rest of the choices.

The play is presented at the Casgrain Theatre - John Abbott College, January 14 to 30. Tickets $20. - $18. info@mtlte.com

CABARET : The Musical by Kander and Ebb.

The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society presents CABARET at the McGill, Moyse Hall. January 14 to 23. Director Julian Silverman, musical direction Chris Barillaro, producer Meg Annand. A very large ensemble of 19 performers and a production team of 12 bring this equally very large musical to the McGill stage. A daunting task for any production company to pull together on a shoestring budget with equally limited time constraints and was perhaps a somewhat ambitious project for AUTS to undertake.

This was my second time seeing a rendition of this piece in less than two months; The previous was the 'full play version' mounted by the graduating class of NTS, see review below. This is the first time I've seen the 'full musical version' staged. It left me wondering what it would be like to see it done 'professionally'; This is not a good thing. I never got the 'je ne sais quoi' gut 'emotional' feeling that musical theatre fans get when experiencing the joy of musical theatre on stage. Admittedly I'm most familiar with the material of the Oscar winning film version and that sound track; -I was hopeful to be equally entertained, but the 'vilkomen en bienvenue' on this one fell somewhat emotionally if not musically flat.

Some noteworthy performances are: Renee Hodgins (Sally Bowles), who played Little Sally in "Urinetown", is adequate in this role but never quite hits the big notes at the big moments; These characters are some really big shoes to fill. Phae Nowak (Fraulin Schneider) is very convincing and virtually flawless in her portrayal of this popular role. Cayleigh Eckhardt (the tenant) delivers a powerhouse solo number stealing the scene away from the rest of the ensemble. Surprisingly the male leads and chorus were all vocally quite strong, a real relief in a town not noted for it's male triple threats. The only two notable critiques were for: Nicholas Allen (Emcee) who although perfectly cast in the role giving a very courageous performance, there were a few moments where the vocals were somewhat forced and over the top; Although so is this character, sometimes a little constraint and a "less is more" approach are the way to go. And to Anthime Miller (Herr Schultz) who gives us a moving performance, yet vocally there were a few moments that were somewhat muffled and lacking precision on the diction. The ensembles performances were over all quite good with some great moments delivered by the cast of students who herald from a range of departments: music, drama, and literature.

Although most of the flaws can probably be attributed to a lack of rehearsal time and limited resources and overall experience, some elements are still worth noting. Costuming was somewhat inconsistent with elements that fluctuated from a variety of decades. The staging was all too often placed up stage, distancing a lot of the action from the audience rather than creating opportunities for more intimate moments in this very large space. Details to blocking was sometimes awkward to clumsy with some moments in desperate need of cleaning up. And far too many transitions that were overwhelming for the cast and distracting to the audience. Fortunately, thanks to the musical direction of Chris Barillero, the orchestrations of the band were excellent and the music was impeccably pure delight.

Having first discovered this company in 2008 with their production of "Urinetown", which made my top ten list that year, then last year's joyous production of "Hair", this production of Cabaret ranks as my least favorite of the three.CABARET at the McGill, Moyse Hall. January 14 to 23. www.auts-cabaret2010.blogspot.com

Eurydice at McGill's Players' Theatre

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Rachel Paul. Is the first production presented by Players' Theatre this season. Features: Megan Stewart, Marko Djurdjic, Francois MacDonald, Cory Lipman, Amelia Haskell, Fiona Penny, and Ayla Lefkowitz. Set design Kate Sketchley.

Eurydice is a whimsical re-imagining of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and his lover, Eurydice. This tale has inspired many other stories, plays and operas. This play focuses on the character, Eurydice, and her journey to the underworld after she dies suddenly on her wedding day and her struggle to remember the love she has lost. Her tale embraces not only the romantic love but also that loving bond between fathers and daughters. The Play is a beautiful exploration of the pleasures and the pain of: love, loss, memory, and the depth of the human connection; A love letter to all as a celebration of our relationships.

Seem-less blocking by director Rachel Paul keep the pacing flowing and natural. Overall the actors deliver very good performances; however stand outs to me were those of: Francois Macdonald as the Father which was admirably constrained and consistent; As well as that of Cory Lipman as the Lord of the Underworld which was both humorus and frightening. Also, I've never been so entertained by 'Stones' before. This movement ensemble added a strong element to the originality of the production. Most noteworthy was the overall set design, not something one normally expects from this level of production, it was overwhelming in a good way. Warning, You'll be requested to remove your outdoor foot wear, so maybe bring your slippers and sit back and enjoy this one act gem.

Performances January 21 to January 30 check directly for days and times. Rates: 6$ to 8$ www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/players 514 398-6813

Simon à Toujours Aimé Danser

1770: At 14, at the Sistine Chapel, the prodigious Amadeus Mozart succeeded in rewriting without any mistake 'Allegri's Miserere', after hearing it only once.

1974: At 11, at the New Hope Baptist Church, the amazing Whitney Houston succeeded in making people sob by singing in her angelic voice 'Guide Me, O Thou Great Jeovah'.

1994: At 12, Simon, at the church of Saint-Rémi de Napierville, succeeded in achieving the astounding miracle of his voice breaking live, right in the middle of his solo, his voice choked in front of the pious crowd. It was enough for him to stop believing in God, and to turn to his second divine gift, dance.

Recipient of a Raymond Blais grant.
Official Harvest selection of the Fringe 2007.
Recipient of the Cirque du Soleil award for best performance in French, 2007 Fringe.
Recipient of the Cornucopia for Best Solo performance, Harvest 2007.

First presented three years ago this production has since toured the Globe including as far away as in Africa. This critically acclaimed theatrical movement solo performance is created and performed by Simon Boulrice and directed by Sarah Berthiaume. Both poetic and literally moving, it is as humorous as it is emotionally moving. The grand dramatic jestures are well balanced by the nuance of his subtle gestures. Recently playing on the Thèâtre d'Aujourd'hui stage to sold out audiences, January 12-30.

Take a Walk on the Wildside at Centaur.

Centaur's 13th season of the Wildside Festival features six plays that will warm your hearts. For two weeks each play is perform five times from January 5th to January 17th.

Ties: Odelah Creations production. A collective creation, directed by Arianna Bardesono, with Christine Aubin-Khalifah and Greg Gale. Poetic, fantastical and captivating. The powerful fantastical story carries us through the portrayal whirlwind experience of a young women's memories as she retraces the life of her deceased father and her struggle to cope with the loss. Take a voyage into your own imagination. The journey takes you from the suburbs of Montreal to the mountains of Lebanon. Scored to original live electric guitar. Ties is SPELLBINDING ORIGINAL, EMOTIONALLY MOVING, and UTTERLY BEGUILING! Brilliantly directed, Bardesono takes some risky chances thinking way out of the box. Many surprises followed by even more surprises. Great performances delivered by both actors who support each other in so many ways. A deeply personal and emotionally stirring tour de force! My personal favorite pick from the festival. WARNING: Kleenex-tissue alert! GO C IT!

Dance Animal: Directed and choreographed by Robin Henderson. With: Joseph Bembridge, Stephanie Breton, Sarah Hansen, Robin Henderson, Dan Jeannotte, Vanessa Kneale, Steph McKenna, Marc Rowland, Pascal Morrissette, and Anders Yates. A Montreal Fringe box office record breaker and winner of the 2009 Just For Laughs 'Best of Montreal'. A bilingual comedy movement piece that mixes high camp and musical theatre with sketch comedy. Henderson, who also plays 'Dance Tiger' the heroin who is responsible for recruiting all the other animals, has created a production that will have at least nine lives, if not ninety. Dance Animal is a laugh-out-loud, clap along, hum-along original comedy-movement piece that is laced with solo performances and monologues, some of which are delivered in French, from the ten appealing and sympathetic animals cast in the story. Also some 'improvisationally' influenced sketches and catchy popular interpretive group dance numbers. Expect to see many incarnations of this fresh home grown phenomenon. GO C IT!

Penumbra: Rabbit In A Hat Productions. Play by Katherine Dempsey. Directed by Paul Van Dyke. With: Catherine Bérubé, Michelle Boback, Christopher Moore, and Howard Rosenstein.
In an age of technological development and dependency, the individual has been afforded an unprecedented variety of communicative means. The story examines classical themes of love, lust and betrayal in a modern context, positing that technology has not only perverted the integrity of the modern relationship structure, but damaged the genuine connection felt between two people in love. I reviewed this play in June during the Fringe when it played at the MAI. I preferred seeing it even more the second time around due in part to an obvious tightening in a few areas in the running of the play, as well as better lighting effects which are essential to the production and the nicer more comfortable ambiance of the Centaur stage. GO SEE IT!

My Pregnant Brother: Freestanding Productions, co-production w/ Two Wheeler Productions. Written and performed by Johanna Nutter. Directed and dramaturged by Jeremy Taylor. Thomas Beatie gave birth to his second child on the same day the this play was born. Two years prior, the artists' brother got pregnant. This is that story. I reviewed this production in June, -I saw the final presentation at the Geordie Space during the Fringe. It was the official selection of the Centaur prize for Best English Play that year. I definitely preferred it the second time due in part to a few changes implemented since June and the better performance space at Centaur. The story is very interesting and truly close to home; -It is set on the Plateau Montreal, on and off the Main and B.C. A very touching and personal tale that is a very popular piece with the home base crowd. GO SEE IT!

Someone Between: Apsara Theatre Company. Written and performed by Chantria Tram. Directed by Milena Buziak. Having escaped her birthplace of Cambodia, and finding amnesty in a Thai refugee camp for three years, Chantria and her family are plunged into the Canadian mosaic. As a first generation Khmer-Canadian, she tries to find her place between two very different cultures. A very nice stage design, textured to the themes of the play. As the story unfolds we become involved with the true life story of this young girls families journey from bondage to freedom. Exotic flavors with plenty of color and spice, you'll be entranced by this well woven tale. The night I saw it there were some issues with the text, lines that were stumbled on; Also some blocking - staging issues and finally some very obvious lighting errors.

Dust: Jsquared Theatre. Written and directed by Jason Maghanoy. With Brandon Coffey and Jessica Moss. Abu Ghraib Prison. Jenny works in the office. Jonathan is a prison guard. They meet and fall in love. The story is a chilling and ultimately moving examination of torture, decency and the limits of hope. On a bare stage two actors deliver great characterizations of these two very difficulty to empathize with army prison guards. A short running time of approximately 40 minutes. You'll leave the theatre wondering if you liked what you witnessed? You'll need to allow yourself some down time following this hauntingly raw performance before making that decision.

2010 message to the artists: We Do The Show...We Do The Show"

You step out from the dark into the light.
What happens when we step out of the dark into the light?
We do the show,
We do the show,
We do the show for the people in the dark.
They need us.
You know life is hard,
It is very cruel.

When you step over the line into the light you have a certain responsibility to the people in the dark.
You've got to be strong.
You've got to take all of your pain and bury it inside your costume.
For twenty-two hours each day you can be just like them.
You can moan and worry and cry, sleep and eat, and drink, and make love, grow old and die like everyone else.

We all live very well.
And we all grow old.
But for two hours every night, you are not allowed to let life in.
You do the show for the people in the dark.
Be strong.
Bury your pain inside your costume.
The show is for them not for you.

It's funny how a simple little love story can change so many lives.
We carry that story on stage every night for fifty years.
Now I leave it with you.
When you step into the light to do your show.
Play your role with everything you've got.
Invest every tear and every laugh.
Everything beautiful and lovely form your lives.
Do your show and live your lives with humanity.
Because whatever you do it changes some one's life forever.