“I’m sorry I made you wait,” whispers Logan Williams, dressed in a medieval puffy-sleeved shirt and paint-stained blue jeans when I meet him by the elevator. “Walk past the curtains and sit at the back.”
Title 66 Productions theatre troupe, which Williams founded, are in the middle of rehearsal for their upcoming play, Clive Barker’s The History of the Devil, opening on Feb. 29 at Théâtre Rouge. Williams also just finished working on the Black Theatre Workshop’s New Canadian Kid as a set designer assistant.
Williams’ outgoing demeanour makes it easy to instantly like him. He might look innocent with his strawberry blonde hair and bright eyes, but he could outsmart most people with his extensive literary knowledge.
The young actor grew up on a farm in Howick, Quebec’s third smallest municipality. Williams’ parents preferred that he did not have too many toys as a child, which pushed him to be creative and innovative with the little he had. This is something he integrated into Title 66 Productions, which he founded after graduating from Dawson College’s professional theatre program last spring.
“We made this mandate which was of acting at its purest base and working on innovative design concepts,” says Williams. “We wanted to take a path of art that was different, outside the box of what everyone was doing.”
With his choice to produce The History of the Devil, Williams promotes a different approach to theatre, one that forces audiences to adopt a critical eye towards the society they live in. The play is bound to be controversial with its depiction of the devil going on trial to be granted access to heaven.
The History of the Devil tackles issues such as sex, religion, violence and death. “It makes people uncomfortable because that is what is around us,” says Williams.
Williams finally appears on stage during rehearsal. He is wearing a robe and his face is covered with a red, glittery mask. Williams is Jesus Christ, this distorted, over-the-top version of the messiah, begging the devil to kill him in some sort of grandiose way in order for him to be remembered by everyone for eternity.
The young Dawson graduate admits that it is not just the content of the play that could offend spectators, but its design could also make people uneasy.
“We are aiming for a design aesthetic that is not typical, but more simple and creative,” says Williams.
The set is composed of a dozen immaculate white mannequins, torsos and cubes, which are moved across the stage to represent different locations. Title 66‘s take on The History of The Devil is not just a play; it is performance art mixed with theatre, which is precisely what could make the audience uncomfortable.
“We are telling the story,” reassures Williams. “We are just telling it in a heightened way so that people are more intrigued.”
Williams may be fresh out of CEGEP, but he is wise beyond his years. He hopes to see the Montreal theatre industry evolve, and reach new levels of creativity. “We don’t bang rocks together to make fire anymore, we buy lighters,” he says. “It is what theatre has to do too; it can’t just be Shakespeare in a corset […]”
While the big theatre companies in Montreal are trying to attract the masses, Williams aims to reach out to a younger audience. He says it is important for the youth to explore art in all its forms, whether it be theatre, visual art or music.
Title 66’s interpretation of Barker’s play wants to show people that a play is not just a play; it is a show and an experience that will make audiences reflect on themselves.
“People will be shocked. People will be angry. People will be pleased,” says Williams about the upcoming play. “It all depends on what kind of mindset you’re coming in with and I suggest that you come in with a very open mind.”
The History of the Devil runs from Feb. 29 to March 4 at Théâtre Rouge (4750 Henri-Julien Ave.) Tickets are $15. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/title66.
