Live and in person at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Playing until Nov. 24, 2024.

www.canadianstage.com

Written by Mark Leiren-Young

Directed by Martin Kinch

Set and costumes by Shawn Kerwin

Sound by Olivia Wheeler

Lighting by Steven Hawkins

Cast: Saul Rubinek

Smart, bracing, perceptive, timely and wonderfully acted and directed.

The Story. Playing Shylock by Mark Leiren-Young is a really challenging, bracing play. In this time of divisiveness about race, religion and ethnicity this play is a hot potato. It asks really prickly questions about The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, such as: is it antisemitic? should it even be done because of the subject matter; does one cancel a production of it if there are protests? It deals also with honouring one’s father; acting; the importance of theatre and why do it at all. And it talks about the world.

The Merchant of Venice is always a provocative, timely play, and Playing Shylockinvestigates that and other pertinent questions.

To appreciate Playing Shylock it’s helpful to know the story of The Merchant of Venice, and so the programme has a short synopsis to help the audience that has never seen the play. Here is my synopsis: In Shakespeare’s play, Antonio, a rich Gentile Merchant comes to Shylock, a Jew,  to make a loan of 3,000 ducats. While Antonio is a prosperous merchant, at the moment he doesn’t have the money and he’s making a loan for his friend Bassanio so he can court Portia. Antonio is an anti-semite who has never hidden his hate and contempt of Shylock as a Jew. But he’ll ignore that to make this loan. Shylock reminds Antonio of his contempt but sees a way of getting this Gentile to be beholding so agrees to the loan.

And the penalty if Antonio forfeits? Shylock says he wants “a pound of your flesh.” It’s both horrifying and funny; horrifying because it shows Shylocks loathing of Antonio; funny because of course it would never happen that Antonio would renege. But things happen to Antonio’s holdings and his prospects to repay are dashed. And something has happened in Shylock’s life that he now wants justice and his pound of flesh. Needless to say, The Merchant of Venice is fraught with thorny issues and emotional baggage.  Not to mention is it antisemitic or about antisemitism?

The Production and comment. The premise of the production of Playing Shylock is that the audience is waiting for ACT II of The Merchant of Veniceto begin. We hear several notifications that ACT II will begin in five minutes, then three minutes, then, it’s about to begin. The door to the side of the theatre opens and the actor (Saul Rubinek) playing Shylock enters to say that he’s just been informed that the production has been cancelled. He wears a yarmulka, a black suit with a prayer shawl. He notes the protests outside the theatre and for the safety of all concerned the production is cancelled. He’s appalled. This conceit puts the play by Shakespeare and our present world of protests for whatever reasons, in the same realm.

And so the world of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and the world of the actor playing Shylock in Playing Shylock, namely Saul Rubinek, collide, meld and intertwine.

Saul Rubinek is the child of Holocaust survivors. He was born in a refugee camp in Germany after the war. His father was an actor and ran a Yiddish theatre company until Hitler put a stop to that. The family immigrated to Canada when Saul Rubinek was nine months old. At his parents’ suggestion, Rubinek began taking drama classes at the Ottawa Little Theatre when he was a kid in 1960. Rubinek became an actor, moved to Toronto and was one of the founding members of Toronto Free Theatre that performed out of the Berkeley Street Theatre 50 years ago. Toronto Free Theatre segued into a company that is now known as Canadian Stage. So Rubinek was very keen to do Playing Shylock at the theatre where he got his start in 1974, and with Martin Kinch, the director he worked with often in the early Toronto Free Theatre days.

Rubinek wanted to do Playing Shylock at the Berkeley Street Theatre and certainly with Martin Kinch directing. Kinch gently guides Rubinek around the space, using the room effectively (it also helps that Rubinek is microphoned). Rubinek also paces himself (along with the guiding hand of his director) in the Merchant of Venice scenes, not expressing his anger too soon in the speeches.

In Playing Shylock, Rubinek ruminates on acting, being Jewish, how tough it is for Jewish actors to play leading parts in Canada, and certainly at Stratford. He notes that no Jewish actor has ever played Shylock at our Stratford—actually Paul Soles did in 2001 replacing Al Waxman who died during open heart surgery.

But then Rubinek does look at the question of who should play what parts? He talks about the accusation of “appropriation” when an actor plays a part different from his ethnicity/background etc. Rubinek’s answer is that all acting is appropriation.

I loved that.

He notes that it’s a trap/problem that actors get slotted into playing roles that are close to their lives. Should only gay actors play gay parts? That’s a trap waiting to happen. I would also ask, should only Jewish actors play Shylock? In Rubinek’s case, he knew that his father would love to have played Shylock, but then he lost his livelihood because Hitler closed the Yiddish Theatre.

Needless to say, The Merchant of Venice is referenced and quoted during Playing Shylock. Saul Rubinek gives many speeches from the play using a Yiddish accent, and at the end of the play repeats the speech about revenge: “Hath not a Jew eyes…..” in Yiddish. The anger is palpable. One wonders, are we watching Saul Rubinek play Shylock or are we watching Saul Rubinek imagining how his Yiddish speaking father would play the part? Both are fascinating possibilities.  When Rubinek is saying the speeches it’s fierce, vivid, controlled, angry, and powerful.

He brings up the present-day rallying cry of cancelling a show because it’s uncomfortable, people might be offended, people protest and so matters might be dangerous. These happenings are getting dangerously common place. I think of The Runner being cancelled at The Belfry Theatre in Victoria last year and then the Push Festival cancelled it in Vancouver earlier this year because of protests of the subject matter—Jacob is an orthodox Jew in Israel and is a member of Z.A.K.A, an Israeli group of first responders who come to scenes of terrorist attacks to save the body parts, blood and bones of wounded Israelis. In scene of a terrorist attack, Jacob sees a dead soldier and close to him is an Arab woman who is wounded. Jacob tended to the woman because he ascertained the soldier was dead. He is pilloried for this humane decision by his mother, brother and fellow Z.A.K.A members. The play examines his decision. (The Runner will be part of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre 24-25 season here in Toronto.)

Saul Rubinek is no stranger to doing challenging theatre.  He is an actor who was at the cutting edge of doing uncomfortable, challenging theatre years ago at the beginning of Toronto Free Theatre, so in the most elegant ways, Rubinek skewers ideas of censorship and cancellations. He also examines doing theatre vs. doing film and television—which he has done successfully for decades in Los Angeles.

There is also a long-impassioned speech about how Shakespeare could not have written the play—it had to be Edward de Vere the 17^th Earl of Oxford. The argument comes out in a torrent as the points keep piling up as proof. Never mind that scholars have disprove the theory. It is bracing to hear Rubinek’s arguments.

I keep on saying Rubinek’s arguments—the play was written by Mark Leiren-Young and he is referencing a lot of Rubinek’s life, so it seems as if it’s autobiographical. I love the melding. I also love the many questions.

Should The Merchant of Venice be put to rest because it’s so contentious? I think the answer is obvious since Playing Shylock so heavily references The Merchant of Venice. Personally, I think The Merchant of Venice should be done every day, everywhere because it’s important,  uncomfortable and painful. It depicts our angry, blinkered, racist world and it doesn’t let us look away, thanks to Playing Shylock.

Canadian Stage Presents

Plays at the Berkeley Street Theatre until Nov. 24, 2024.

Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)

www.canadianstage.com

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Live and in person at the Hamilton Family Theatre, Cambridge, produced by Drayton Entertainment, playing until Nov. 3, 2024.

www.draytonentertainment.com

Book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman

Music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak

Based on a novel by Roy Horniman

Directed and choreographed by Adam Cates

Music director, Nico Rhodes

Set by Ryan Howell

Based on original costume design by Linda Cho

Lighting by Jeff JohnstonCollins

Sound by Allan McMillan

Cast: Ellen Denny

Eddie Glen

Daniel Greenberg

Elena Howard-Scott

Amanda Leight

Michael-Lamont Lyttle

Charlotte Moore

Tyler Murree

Powell Nobert

Sarah O’Brecht

Karen Wood

This is a lively, buoyant rendering of the Tony Award winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

From the website: “In 1907 London, England, penniless clerk Monty Navarro is delighted to learn that he’s eighth in life for an earldom n the esteemed D’Ysquith family. Figuring his odds of outliving his predecessors are slight, he sets off down a sinister path knocking off his relatives one by one with his sights set on the family title and fortune.

All the while, this loveable cad has to juggle his mistress and his fiancée and the constant threat of being caught!”

It’s not really a ‘whodunit” because Monty says ‘he dun it” and we see him plotting to do it, so there is no mystery. The fun is in the singing, dancing and clever ways of doing in the successive Earls.

Daniel Greenberg plays Monty Navarro with panache, sophistication and total charm. He has a grand singing voice and endless energy juggling the various plot lines of murder and making sure his mistress and his fiancée don’t actually get to know that he is balancing both of them.

Playing all the various Earls of D’Ysquith and perhaps a servant or two is Tyler Murree using various quick-change disguises and accents. And he dies beautifully and inventively through all of it.  Ellen Denny plays Phoebe D’Ysquith with sophistication and wit and is not one of the D’Ysquiths in line for anything. As her rival Sibella, Elena Howard-Scott is sweet, down-to-earth but with a touch of pouting. Both women sing beautifully and with flair.

Director/Choreographer Adam Cates directs and choregraphs with assurance. I must confess I found the movement and constant shifting in locations ramped up to warp speed and very busy and distracting. Robert L. Freedman’s Book and Lyrics are clever and very funny and Steven Lutvak’s music will keep you interested.

Drayton Entertainment presents:

Plays until Nov. 3, 2024.

Running time: 2 hour, 30 minutes (1 Intermission)

www.draytonentertainment.com

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Live and in person at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, produced by Art of Time Ensemble in association with Kofflerarts and the Royal Conservatory, Glenn Gould School.  Toronto, Ont. Playing Oct. 24-27, 2024.

www.harbourfrontcentre.com

Music by Igor Stravinsky

Libretto by Titilope Sonuga

Conducted by Andrew Burashko

Directed by Tawiah M’Carthy

Costumes by Des’ree Gray

Sound by John Gzowski

Lighting by Kevin Lamotte

Choreography by Pulga Muchochoma

Cast: Olaoluwa Fayokun

Diego Matamoros

Ordena Stephens-Thompson

Moving, meticulously presented, revelatory in its sweep.

Andrew Burashko, the gifted artistic director of Art of Time Ensemble, has long been interested in L’Histoire du soldat, the 1918 piece with music by Igor Stravinsky and the libretto by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz. Stravinsky and Ramuz conceived the piece together, based on the Russian tale The Runaway Soldier and the Devil. In it a soldier does a deal with the devil in which the soldier trades his beloved violin for the promise of riches.

Andrew Burashko wanted to reimagine the piece with the soldier being a Black man in which racism, isolation, and discrimination play a huge part, reflecting our present fractured, angry world and so Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold was created.

From the website: “Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold reimagines Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat in a new libretto by poet Titilope Sonuga. Through the journey of a fictional soldier attempting to enlist in WWI, this Soldier’s Tale is set against the historical context of the No. 2 Construction Battalion — the only Canadian battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve in the First World War. In a psychological battle with the devil on the road to enlisting, the soldier embodies the battalion’s resilience and enduring struggle against racism, discrimination, and historical erasure. Sankofa is an invitation to honour a difficult history while moving toward a more promising future. Like the symbol of the Sankofa bird from which this story draws its name, this work is an act of remembrance.”

Context, comment, background.

Until 1916 Canadian Black men who wanted to fight to defend Canada were not allowed to enlist to fight in WWI. Matters changed in 1916 when the 2^nd Construction Battalion was created and Black men could join. But this was a labour battalion, not a fighting battalion. I found that so telling about the racism then.

From Wikipedia: Construction Battalion

“An all-Black infantry battalion was not an option. There were not enough Black men in Canada to man such a battalion and provide reinforcements in the face of heavy casualty rates at the front. Further, the British War Office refused to allow any Black units into combat on the Western Front (they feared that Black infantry units might use their training and experience against British authorities in the colonies). In April 1916, the chief of the general staff at Militia Headquarters found a solution. He proposed that a Black labour battalion be formed, labour being in very short supply and critical to support campaigns. The British approved the idea in May.”

Poet Titilope Sonuga has written a beautiful, moving and bracing libretto to tell the story of this Black Soldier, beautifully played by Olaoluwa Fayokun, who leaves his mother to fight for his country. He is met with opposition all the way, from his own doubts to meeting the Devil in many guises who dupes him at every turn. Diego Matamoros plays the Devil with smooth cunning and easy manipulation. Ordena Stephens-Thompson plays the Narrator and Yaa. She has a regal bearing as the Narrator and is therefore commanding, and as Yaa, the Soldier’s Mother, she is humble, full of advice when he leaves and frets about his safety.

The production is directed with assurance and depth by Tawiah M’Carthy. The message is so important and M’Carthy serves the piece with sensitivity and respect.

The last word (and the first as well) goes to Art of Time Ensemble Artistic Director Andrew Burashko. Over the last 25 years he has guided his ensemble with brilliance, intellectual curiosity and rigor. He has created programmes that cross genres of music with dance, literature, drama and variations in performance. He has introduced audiences to long forgotten composers and creators and revived/refreshed/reimagined their work. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold is a work he has wanted to do for four years. It is a fitting cap to ending 25 years of bracing, invigorating work through the Art of Time Ensemble. I’ll miss learning from these concerts. However, I have a feeling he’s not finished providing thought provoking work to his loyal audiences. A final “bravo” and thank you.

The Art of Time Ensemble presented in association with Kofflerarts and The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School.

The short run of four performances closed on Oct. 27, 2024.

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Live and in person at Theatre Orangeville, Orangeville, Ont. Playing until Nov. 3, 2024.

www.theatreorangeville.ca

Written by Chris Rait, Mark Williams and Jeannine Duwyn

Directed by David Nairn

Set by Beckie Morris

Costumes by Alex Amini

Lighting by Chris Malkowski

Sound by Brian Bleasdale

Cast: Sweeney MacArthur

Stephen Sparks

Sometimes you get a second change to make things right as Gordon and Archie find out. They also find out about true friendship, taking chances and enjoying life to the fullest. Tip of the Iceberg is a funny, irreverent, joy-filled play and production that might jolt us into taking some of its wisdom with us into our lives after the play.

The Story. From the website of the play: “Gordon and Archie have been friends for over 70 years, living and working in the remote fishing village of Murphy’s Harbour, Newfoundland. Through some internet research, Archie believes that he has figured out a way to physically reclaim his vigor. All that remains is the key ingredient to this elixir: Glacial ice. Gordon decides to join his mate for an excursion out to sea, where a large iceberg is drifting a few miles offshore.”

The Production. I think there is some unwritten law that says that you can’t do a story set in Newfoundland without having singing of local/original folksongs dealing with the sea, or solitude etc. And this production of Tip of the Iceberg has plenty of songs sung by Chris Rait with the help of the audience at times.

Beckie Morris’s set is evocative of the sea. There is a rough-hewn dock over there; a boat with a motor on the other side of it with a rope attached to a pillar on the dock; and a backdrop of a painted outline of an iceberg very reminiscent of Lauren Harris.  And the boat moves as if on water. Love that detail.

Archie (Sweeney MacArthur) is the more irreverent of the two friends and Gordon (Stephen Sparks) is the more practical of the two. But they have been friends for years so while Archie has this hair-brained idea that glacial ice holds the secret to youthful vigor, Gordon is the kind of friend who would go with Archie out to that iceberg there to get some of that ice for Archie’s experiment. Archie knows that 90% of the iceberg is below the surface of the water and what is showing is ‘the tip.’ The same could be said for the play—it looks like it’s an irreverent comedy, but there is a lot going on underneath the jokes and humour.

There is a bit of a glitch when the friends get to the iceberg because ‘one of them’ realizes he forgot to fill the boat with oil and they are ‘stranded’ on the iceberg.

The friends don’t panic. They don’t blame each other for being a fool. They tell stories and reminisce. Both regret that they weren’t better husbands to their faithful wives. Gordon, a tempered, open-hearted performance by Stephen Sparks,  regrets not taking his wife on a vacation she wanted. Archie, an irreverent and impish performance by Sweeney MacArthur, which includes a kind of strip-tease on the iceberg, has squandered lots of savings and hasn’t told his wife. Both realize how precious their wives are, that they now have a second chance if they survive, and how lucky they are to have each other as friends.

Tip of the Iceberg is directed by David Nairn with a wink and a smile bringing out all the humour and whimsy to the story. But he is also respectful of the quiet wisdom of the play and never overpower it with funny business.

Chris Rait, Mark Williams and Jeannine Duwyn have written a sweet, wise and funny play about friendship, loyalty, taking chances and getting second chances when things don’t work out the first time.  

Comment. Chris Rait also lends his musical talents to the mix by providing the music, playing and rousing the audience to join in. Again, the songs are both familiar and irreverent. Perfect for an outing to Orangeville.

Theatre Orangeville presents:

Plays until Nov. 3, 2024.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (approx.) (1 intermission)

www.theatreorangeville,ca

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Live and in person at VideoCabaret, 10 Busy Street.  Toronto, Ont. Running, Oct. 24, 25, 26, 27.

www.videocab.com

Dear Robert

Written by Jim Garrard

Directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff

Props and set by Merle Harley

Sound by Jack Nicholsen

Lighting by Andrew Dollar

Cast: Rebecca Gibian

NOTE: Layne Coleman has the guts of a bandit. Mr. Coleman is an actor, writer, director and a mover and shaker of the early days of theatre in Toronto. He was the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille and now is the interim Artistic Director of VideoCabaret.

For his first season programming at VideoCabaret he went back to Toronto’s Theatre roots and programmed Alan Williams’ one man show Once in a Lifetime, Sometimes Never, as he mused about theatre, generational differences, Shakespeare and even the future.

Layne Coleman follows this with Dear Robert & Special Delivery, both of which celebrate the almost lost art of writing letters. Who comes up with programming like this– Layne Coleman, a man of impish daring with the guts of a bandit.

Both Dear Robert and Special Delivery are two pieces of theatre that celebrate the art of letter writing, and do it with wit, intelligence and (in the case of Special Delivery) wonderful singing.

Amanda (Rebecca Gibian) sits at a small desk in an apartment with packing boxes strewn around the floor. She begins reading from a three-page hand–written letter (on pink paper), pen in hand. It’s addressed to a man named Robert. She reads it aloud to check what she wrote. She misses Robert and hopes he’s happy and settled where he is. The letter is chatty and then she lightly says that she might be pregnant and it might be his. She finishes reading all three pages with a few corrections then folds the letter and places it in an envelope, writes Robert’s address on it, (checking her address book), then carefully applying a stamp. I note she does not put her return address on the envelope. That was interesting. She seals the envelope and carefully places it to the side of the desk.

Amanda takes another three-page hand-written letter, this time written on paper another pastel colour, addressed to Richard. There are a few details particular to Richard in this letter and again Amanda is breezy with the news that she might be pregnant and Richard might be the father. The same process for the envelope takes place. Again, no return address.  And there is another letter addressed to another person that I will keep to myself so as not to spoil the wonderful joke of it. Jim Garrard’s writing is quirky, very funny, irreverent and full of surprises in this short play. The piece is beautifully, sensitively directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff. She is not a flashy director pointing to her own work. She always serves the piece and lets it clearly say what it says.

Rebecca Gibian plays Amanda with an easy confidence. There is no judgement of Amanda towards these recipients because of Rebecca Gibian’s nuanced playing of her. There is confidence, humour and a wonderful artfulness in that Amanda hand writes the letters. This is not old fashioned. This is making a statement of effort, importance and purpose. Wonderful.

Special Delivery

Curated and co-performed by Jack Nicholsen

Co-performed by Laska Sawade

Jack Nicholsen has created the perfect companion piece to Dear Robert. It’s a short concert of songs about letters such as: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “My Baby Just Wrote Me a Letter,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter,” and the crushing, “Return to Sender.”

Each song is sung with simplicity, beautiful harmony and joy by Jack Nicholsen and Laska Sawade. Nothing fancy: two stand microphones, both performers in jeans and a work shirt, and the wonderful musicality. Again, wonderful.

VideoCabaret presents:

Plays Oct. 24-27, 2024.

Running time: 1 hour (no intermission)

www.videocab.com

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Maev Beaty: Photo by Dahlia Katz

Live and in person at the Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Produced by Canadian Stage. Running until Nov. 3, 2024.

www.canadianstage.com

From the book of the same name by Elizabeth Strout

Adapted by Rona Munro

Directed by Jackie Maxwell

Set and costumes by Michael Gianfrancesco

Lighting by Bonnie Beecher

Sound and composition by Jacob Lin

Projection designer, Amelia Scott

Cast: Maev Beaty

A beautiful ache of a play about Lucy Barton, a woman navigating her way through a difficult life to revelation. Maev Beaty as Lucy Barton is exquisite. Jackie Maxwell’s sensitive direction makes the whole production shimmer.

The Story. Lucy Barton has a lot of memories, brought on by her nine weeks stay in the hospital, initially to have her appendix removed. But there were complications. She has been recovering, alone in her hospital room and she’s had time to think.  Memories come gushing out. And there was shock. Lucy awoke in her hospital room to see her long-estranged mother sitting in a chair at the end of her bed. Her mother overcame her fear of flying and came to see her sick daughter in hospital. Lucy’s early life was one of poverty, being ostracized in school because she was of a lower class and poor. Her parents were unaffectionate and even mean. There was trauma in her life. Her life changed when she left home to go to university. She was shunned by her parents because of that. But here was Lucy Barton’s mother and with her are the memories.

The Production and comment. Michael Gianfrancesco’s design is spare and elegant. The stage is bare except for a hospital bed and a lone visitor’s chair a few feet off from the bed. There is a projection in the background of waves of in muted colours that remind me of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” even though the waves in “The Scream” are orangy-red. Still, that ‘look’ sets the tone, an idea. When the production starts, the waves move and undulate, calming. Over the course of the production the projections subtly change into a starry sky, the suggestion of a hospital corridor and various locations in the narrative. It is a smooth blending of Amelia Scott’s projections, Bonnie Beecher’s evocative, beautiful lighting and Jacob Lin’s soundscape.

Lucy Barton (Maev Beaty) is dressed in a beautiful silky shirt and elegant pants. This is a stylish woman. Hearing Lucy Barton slowly spill her guts about her life and her family, is like observing the resultant open wound. With every story and experience Lucy has had it’s like watching an accident happen. We want to look away but are so mesmerized by Maev Beaty’s graceful, nuanced performance as both Lucy Barton and her mother, that we are gently gripped. Maev Beaty takes the audience on Lucy’s emotional journey. Recollections make her shudder at their horror: her fear of snakes; the lack of heat in the garage in which she grew up; the lack of hugs; a husband who doesn’t visit in the hospital but feels Lucy needs a private room; the loneliness.

Because of Rona Munro’s beautiful adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s celebrated novel, “My Name Is Lucy Barton,” we follow Lucy’s rollercoaster ride of a story of being poor, cold and hungry when younger, desperate for her parents’ affection and not getting it, and ostracized by her school mates.

Director Jackie Maxwell sensitively guides the production through all the subtleties and subtext of the play. Maneuvering Maev Beaty around the space from the hospital bed to the chair to being in the space is beautifully fluid, organic and natural. The emotions are revealed slowly and then almost like a torrent.  

To survive that Lucy had to be ruthless (as a friend told her to be) and she was. Through it all Lucy was observant, caring, intensely loving to her two young children, patient and uncomplaining with her distant husband, and non-judgmental with her friends. She lamented the loss of a young man to AIDS without even considering, (or caring) that he was gay. She just lamented his loss. When Lucy became a writer, she knew what her story was and the kind of person she had become. Angst seemed to slip away with that knowledge.

Watching Maev Beaty play Lucy Barton, through all her painful memories and disappointments, is like watching a wound heal. Miraculous.

Canadian Stage Presents:

Plays until November 3, 2024.

Running time: 105 minutes (no intermission).

www.canadianstage.com

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Live and in person at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, a co-production of the Canadian Opera Company and of Malmö Opera, in Toronto, Ont.

Playing Oct. 24, 27, Nov. 2.

www.coc.ca

By Charles Gounod

Libretto by Jules  Barbier and Michael Carré

Conductor, Johannes Debus

Director, Amy Lane

Set and costumes by Emma Ryott

Lighting by Charles Morgan Jones

Choreography by Tim Claydon

Cast: Alex Hetherington

Kyle Ketelsen

Megan Latham

Long Long

Szymon Mechliński

Korin Thomas-Smith

Guanqun Yu

Once again a concept is imposed on an opera that does not support it. Frustrating but terrific music and performance.

NOTE: As I have said when I review an opera, since music and singing aren’t my forte, I’m looking at the opera from the point of view of theatre. I can talk about the drama of the piece, the acting, set and costumes and the concept of the director, etc. The usual stuff for a drama.

The opera was composed by Charles Gounod, with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michael Carré Sung in French with English surtitles.

The Story. Faust is an old man and considers himself a failure in life after efforts to succeed fail him, and plans to take his life by drinking poison. But he is interrupted by the Devil, Méphistophélès, who makes Faust an offer he can’t refuse.

Méphistophélès will give Faust youth and vigor so he can cavort with women and have a great time, but after that Faust’s soul is the Devil’s, Méphistophélès. Faust agrees. Faust is miraculously transformed into a virile, youthful man in a fitted dark green jacket. He sees the young Marguerite and falls in love with her and she him. Temptations of riches, jewels from the Devil on behalf of Faust appear and Marguerite succumbs. It ends badly for everybody except the Devil who takes Faust’s soul at the end.

The Production. The Faust story is the subject of dramas, musicals, ballets etc. So, it’s familiar. But if I look at the opera from the musical-theatre point of view, it’s interesting.

In musicals, there is a “rule” that within the first five minutes of the start of the musical, the tone, atmosphere and general sense of the story has to be established both in music and in text/lyrics. I wouldn’t apply that idea to the music in an opera. The composer of course knows what he/she/they are doing. But it’s the libretto here that was troubling.

Faust (Long Long) is old, stiff-legged and hunched. He begins by singing that he is a failure. He laments that repeatedly. He sings that he sought answers in nature and in research and in thinking etc. but he’s failed. He sings about drinking poison and ending it all. This goes on for about 15 minutes and I have no idea what he is talking about. A failure at what? He doesn’t say. I thought it a bit drastic that because he failed at whatever, he wanted to drink poison.

But then the dashing, charming, tuxedo-dressed Méphistophélès (Kyle Ketelsen) appears, with top hat and cane to help out. Méphistophélès calls Faust,” Dr.” I don’t think he’s a medical doctor, but perhaps a botanist, with that reference to nature etc. Then it comes clear: Faust wants to be young again to dally with the ladies and live a life of pleasure and perhaps in his studies as whatever Doctor, he was looking for an elixir for youth, to turn back time and make him young again.  Méphistophélès says he can do that (before that Faust pleads to God with not much success). So Méphistophélès promises to change Faust into a young, virile man again with a new wardrobe but when Faust is finished living the high life, his soul is Méphistophélès’. Faust agrees. Faust is on his way to falling in love with Marguerite (Guanqun Yu) and she him, until it all ends badly.

Keeping in mind I’m looking at the opera as ‘theatre’, how was the production? I think any clarity that could serve the piece is choked out of it and smothered with the weight of the overbearing, ill-conceived concept of director Amy Lane. You have to read the program to find out what you are seeing up there on that set by Emma Ryott or why. You have to listen to an interview with Amy Lane on line to decipher her thinking.  

Amy Lane envisions the opera as a game for Faust so the floor is in the design of a chess board. Really?  A game?? With whom? Why a game? With whom is Faust playing, because it’s not Méphistophélès. Méphistophélès holds all the cards (wrong kind of game). And why chess? No reason given. While I was in a great seat in the orchestra, I could not see that floor clearly enough to discern the chess board.

Nor did I get a sense from Amy Lane’s staging that she was moving the pieces—characters– around as in a game of chess. Upstage on the backdrop was something that looked like a chest cavity—I was told in fact it was a pair of lungs with all sorts of veins in it. Ok, I see that. Why? There are six dwarf moveable trees with thick trunks and spindly branches. I’m figuring these are arteries and veins—in keeping the body references. In the middle of the stage is an odd, winding staircase that you realize is a spine. Singers have to climb up and down that staircase and those stairs are steep. Again, we have a designer, Emma Ryott, who doesn’t consider the singer when designing the set on which they have to move. In fact, checking with the Amy Lane’s interview—we are looking at Faust’s body. News to me. It’s not his body that is at stake here, it’s his soul. Sigh.

Amy Lane also references popular culture in her vision—films like the Wizard of Oz, films by Tim Burton. Musicals such as Cabaret or perhaps by Bob Fosse are referenced. For example, Méphistophélès is always accompanied by two scantily clad women in black tights, high heels, and form fitting corset things. I could be looking at the Kit Kat Orchestra from Cabaret or some of the dancers from Sweet Charity.  I think the pièce de resistance is a character, supposedly God, in white tie, tails, heels and top hat that is emulating Marlene Dietrich.That had me rolling my good eye.

Comment. I loved the singing and thought the opera was well-acted. But this is a mess of a self-indulgent concept that does not serve the opera. If the design can’t explain itself without having to check the program or accompanying interview of the director, then it’s failed. And don’t tell me the devil made them do it.

The Canadian Opera Company in a co-production with Malmö Opera presents:

Playson Oct. 24, 27 and Nov. 2

Running time: 3 hours (1 intermission)

www.coc.ca

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Here are more details regarding the situation and a motion to Equity at its AGM

Further details regarding director Guy Sprung and his case against Canadian Actors Equity Association:

Here are the details of Guy Sprung’s case from my blog:

About Guy Sprung and his case against Canadian Actors Equity:

Now there is a member’s motion that Terry Tweed will present to Equity’s AGM Oct. 21.

Details below.

Friends, colleagues and fellow theatre artists: 

Below please find the member’s motion that Terry Tweed will present from the floor as item 8 on the agenda of Equity’s AGM on October 21^st, to be seconded by Barbara Gordon. 

Terry Tweed was a member of Equity National Council for over 18 years and President for six.  Barbara Gordon was also a long-time Equity councillor and winner of the Larry McCance Award for outstanding contribution to our association.  

If you believe that CAEA should live up to its own constitution and, “assist members in pursuing their lawful rights and remedies.” (Object vii of our Constitution),I urge you to register for our NAGM and make your vote count.  If you are, as Diana Leblanc is, embarrassed and ashamed by how CAEA has treated one of its senior members, I urge you to register for our NAGM and support Terry Tweed’s motion.  

If you have yet to register for our NAGM on Oct 21^st, you can do it here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6xRWEJJERWa_NmRjnHmzHg#/registration

Additional information, including the meeting agenda, is available online at www.caea.com/NAGM-2024. 

If you do support Terry and Barbara’s motion, I hope you will circulate this email to your own friends and colleagues in CAEA. 

In the name of Canadian decency and justice, I thank you,

Guy Sprung

Here is the resolution Terry Tweed will be presenting:

RESOLUTION FROM THE FLOOR 2024 AGM

Whereas Equity once prided itself on offering the protection of a transparent and robust disciplinary process, where there was adherence to the principles of truth and justice, where ALL participants had the right to defence and appeal, including the accused, and where both sides were treated with equal fairness and respect, and

Whereas Equity in 2020 failed to assure the protection of Guy Sprung’s rights and privileges when a complaint was brought against him, failed to grant him an appeal which he had every right to expect and which forced Mr. Sprung to take legal action against his own Association, and

Whereas Mr. Sprung’s legal action resulted in a resounding victory for him, one that recognized 

the wrong done to Mr Sprung through a failed and unfair disciplinary process, and that action exonerated him of any wrong doing, and 

Whereas Equity, in the light of the Québec ruling also exonerated him, has continued to refuse to apologize to Mr. Sprung for its mistakes and to pay Mr. Sprung for his legal costs:

BE IT RESOLVED

That CAEA Council apologize to Guy Sprung in front of its membership for its failure to ensure that he received fair and just treatment, and to immediately reimburse Mr.  Sprung for his legal costs before the Québec Superior Court, whose decision so clearly recognized the failure of Equity’s disciplinary process against him.

Terry Tweed

Member # 2099

Seconded by Barbara Gordon

Member #6434

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Live and in person at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Ont. Production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company premiere. Plays, Oct. 17, 19, 23, 25.

www.coc.ca

By Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto by Temistocle Solera

Based on the ballet Nabucodonoso by Antonio Cortese

And the play Nabuchodonosor by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu

Conductor, Paolo Carignani

Director, Katherine M. Carter

Set by Michael Yeargan

Costumes by Jane Greenwood

Lighting by Mikael Kangas

Original lighting by Duane Schuler

Cast: Matthew Cairns

Rihab Chaleb

Wesley Harrison

Simon Lim

Charlotte Siegel

Duncan Stenhouse

Mary Elizabeth Williams

Roland Wood

And a huge COC orchestra and chorus.

Note: As opera is not my forte, I won’t comment on the singing or the orchestra. I will look at Nabucco from a theatrical point of view since that is where my knowledge is.

Giuseppe Verdi wrote his opera in 1841 and it had its first performance in 1842 in Milan, where it was wildly successful.

It’s set in the ancient time of Nebuchadnezzar (in English) (or Nobuchodonosor in Italian) who was the Assyrian King of Babylon. For the purposes of the opera I’ll refer to him as he is in the program, as Nabucco (Roland Wood).

At the beginning of the opera Nabucco was in Jerusalem set to overcome the Jews who were gathering inside the Temple of Solomon. The Jewish prophet Zaccaria (Simon Lim) was preparing to battle Nabucco’s army. He had also captured Nabucco’s beloved daughter Fenena (Rihab Chaleb). Zaccaria entrusts Fenena to Ismaele (Matthew Cairns) while he goes into battle, not realizing that Fenena and Ismaele have met and have fallen in love. Nabucco is triumphant in overpowering Zaccaria and his troops and enslaving the Jews. Another subplot involves Abigaille (Mary Elizabeth Williams), Nabucco’s adopted daughter who is jealous of Fenena and vengeful in trying to get her father’s love. She is a fierce soldier.

While there are certainly many relationships going on in the opera, this is mainly an opera of the chorus, first the chorus of the Jews and also of the Assyrians. There are 56 in this chorus in total. Costume designer Jane Greenwood dresses the Jews in black robes with the men in prayer shawls and black hats initially. The Assyrians are in robes of red. Very impressive all round.

Michael Yeargan’s set of pillars and wide staircases in the beginning of the opera suggests the large size of the Temple of Solomon. When the action transfers to Nabucco’s throne room in his palace in Act II my eyebrows knitted. The throne is at the top of a lot of stairs but you are not looking at it head on, you are looking at it from the side.  First Abigaille ascended the stairs to the throne—she was taking over, she thought, and then Nabucco climbed up those stairs. Somebody wants the singers to get a workout. The whole set piece takes up half the stage it seems as we look at this throne and stairs structure. It looks like whoever is sitting on the throne is looking into the wings instead of out to the audience. I thought that odd.

Director Katherine M. Carter maneuvers the choruses with confidence and she establishes the relationships of the characters. But when Fenena is brought on as a prisoner she and her ‘captor’ are placed on a top step but behind the chorus so we can’t actually see her clearly, just her head and a bit of the shoulders and occasionally she tries to pull away. It seems rather clumsy. Considering how important her capture is she should be on view clearly in that first scene. But the other staging/direction is efficient, clear and effective.

I have heard from those who know their opera that Giuseppe Verdi was using a metaphor of the Jews to represent the Italians in Italy in 1842. The Italians felt under the oppressive yoke of various factions who ruled them: The Austrians in the North, the Pope around Rome and the Spanish in the south. It all resulted in the revolution of 1848. But I could not find any concrete evidence of this in the program or in other research—that using the Jews of ancient times represented the Italians in the 1840s. I was told that there were censors at work and perhaps Verdi could have been arrested so he was being careful.

Or it could be that those people who first saw the opera in 1842 heard a story that focused on the Jews being oppressed in Babylonian times, and applied it to their own experience of Italy in the 1840s. Today when we see/hear the opera we see the oppression of the Jews (and others) and apply it to todays angry, fractious, violent times. History keeps repeating itself, alas.

Fascinating opera.

The Canadian Opera Company presents the Lyric Opera of Chicago production:

Plays Oct. 17, 19, 23, 25, 2024.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (1 intermission)

www.coc.ca

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