Author: Nathália Larocerie Lêdo

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Hell hath no vengeance like a god scorned

Starring television and stage veterans, Ron Lea and Lucinda Davis, The Book of Bob features giant screens, creating a complete multimedia production.

You are a good person. You guide your life by moral principles; you eat green, do your recycling and even refuse to own a car and a cellphone. Oh, and you’re an atheist. Then, out of nowhere, comes a female God who decides to put your  convictions to the test by hitting you with all kinds of adversities.

Starring television and stage veterans, Ron Lea and Lucinda Davis, The Book of Bob features giant screens, creating a complete multimedia production.thea

Such is the plot of The Book of Bob, a present-day adaptation of the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Job. The poor soul put to trial is Montrealer, Bob — a middle-aged McGill professor who teaches Dostoevsky’s writings on morality and faith.

Suddenly, Bob’s stable life is bombarded in all directions by the caprices of a female deity. A student files a formal complaint against him for mistreating her in front of the entire class; his wife is diagnosed with colon cancer; his son is selling weed and his father commits suicide.

The play explores how Bob’s righteous self-image is ultimately challenged, and leaves it to the spectators to decide for themselves the authority of faith in one’s life.

Distinguished Montreal-raised actor, Ron Lea, plays the role of Bob. His talent overflows the stage with wit, perception and confidence. He is definitely convincing in his portrayal of Bob and his charismatic performance makes it easier for the public to sympathize and even identify with him.

Constantly interacting with Bob, in the skin of ten different characters, is the bold actress, Lucinda Davis, who was awarded the 2013 META Award for Outstanding Female Actor. Playing the female lead, Davis was already God in the playwright’s mind even as the play was still taking form, according to an interview with Suzanne Shugar. When you see her on stage, this choice becomes obvious — Davis is incredibly versatile in the way she creates unique traits and voices for each character, while avoiding venturing into the realm of parody.

Moreover, one of the main features of the play are the elaborate, huge screens that envelop the entirety of the stage. Brought forth by cinematographer Benoît Beaulieu and videographers George Allister and Patrick Andrew Boivin, this visual component is highly interactive, always showing where the main character is (home, campus, etc) and with whom he is interacting. It is a skillful way to avoid dry narration and creates an imaginative ambience.

The Book of Bob is the latest play written by Montreal’s Arthur Holden, and the Centaur Theatre is currently holding its debut run. Holden is captivated by biblical texts and attempted to explore the subject in this new play. “I’m not looking to change minds. I’ll be satisfied if I touch one or two hearts,” Holden said in the same interview with Shugar.

In this regard, he has been undoubtedly successful; you won’t leave the theatre without philosophizing and making considerations about your own life.

The Book of Bob runs until March 2 at the Centaur Theatre. For more information visit centaurtheatre.com/thebookofbob.php

 

Photo by LuceTG.com

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Love and the SATs in NYC

You’ve seen it before: a rich girl falls in love with an outcast. Working on this classic theme, playwright Jenny Lyn Bader modernizes this subject in the comedy None of the Above.

The play makes its Canadian premiere in cooperation with Kaleidoscope Theatre Montreal, who have had previous success adapting classics such as Sophocles’ Antigone and William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Directed by Trevor Barrette and Michelle Lewis, the play focuses on two characters in present day New York City learning how to overcome their problems. Together, they build trust and support each other in spite of their differences.

Actress Lily Maclean gives life to Jamie Silver, a rich 17-year-old girl living in the Upper East Side of New York who attends a fancy private school. Jamie—whose parents restricted her access to money after a party accident broke an expensive vase in their house—has turned into a small-time drug dealer.

Scott Humphrey, a Concordia graduate, plays Clark. He is a 22-year-old genius in desperate need of money. He is hired by Jamie’s father to tutor her for the SATs and  tasked to get her score to a perfect 2400—an impossible task.

Jamie and Clark struggle to overcome their social barriers and backgrounds in order to succeed towards a mutual goal. As they interact, secrets are revealed on both sides. Jamie discovers why her tutor accepts this shady agreement with her dad, and Clark discovers surprising skills in Jamie.

Set and costume designer Kelly O’Toole, also Concordia alumna, is in charge of the seemingly simple stage design. All scenes take place in Jamie’s room which consists of a few furniture items: her bed, working desk, dresser and sofa.

The theatre in which the play is held resembles a live auditorium. The bleacher-style seating arrangement creates a more intimate ambiance, facilitating the connection between the audience themselves and the characters.

Adding to the atmosphere is the fresh and jovial music, featuring a soundtrack created by Montreal musicians including Bent by Elephants, The Jem and Emily Skahan from Motel Raphael.

Humphrey and Maclean’s performances gives authenticity to the production, probably because they are young adults themselves. Adding to this authenticity are the various props and electronic devices that are essential in contemporary teenagers lives.

The dialogue is fun and smooth, keeping you engaged throughout the play. Initially, some of Jamie’s attitudes are so cliché that it renders them artificial.

However, as the play develops, the characters reveal their more human sides and easily create empathy.

It is impossible not to have a few laughs at the witty exchanges that most teenagers can relate to—and some jokes they don’t, if they don’t have absent millionaire parents.

None of the Above runs until Nov. 30 at Mainline Theatre.

 

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“Who owns life?” Facing what lies behind your plate

When Schmeiser famously asked the question, "Who owns life?” before the Supreme Court of Canada, his words galvanized the anti-GMO movement around the world. Photo by Maxime Côté

What is the source of life and who owns it are some of the driving inquiries behind the down-to-earth (in its literal sense) documentary play Seeds, winner of Best English-Language Production of 2005 by the Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre (artere) and nominated for Best Original Script in 2005 by artere.

When Schmeiser famously asked the question, “Who owns life?” before the Supreme Court of Canada, his words galvanized the anti-GMO movement around the world. Photo by Maxime Côté

Written by Annabel Soutar, Seeds is a fast-paced, electrifying chronicle of the four-year trial of Saskatchewan canola farmer Percy Schmeiser, who was sued by biotech multinational corporation Monsanto. The dialogues are all based on court transcripts, official documentation and interviews with Schmeiser, Monsanto’s public relations people, as well as farmers, professors and lawyers.

Monsanto is a giant agricultural company that trades in biochemical products and crop seeds. It initiated a legal battle in 1998, prosecuting Schmeiser. Monsanto alleged that Schmeiser was illegally growing their genetically modified canola seeds. He defended himself explaining that they flew into his fields, contaminating his own plantations. After the court ruled the legal victory of Monsanto over Schmeiser, the case gained popularity worldwide, fueling heated debates over the property of life and the danger of genetically modified food.

The cast is composed of Eric Peterson (known for his roles in Corner Gas and This is Wonderland) as Percy Schmeiser and Liisa Repo-Martell (who plays Annabel Soutar, who conducted the interviews herself), as well as four other actors who demonstrate a feat of versatility, constantly alternating roles. In this regard, they do a wonderful job recreating the speeches and imitating the accents of the several people interviewed.

It is rather challenging to follow the rhythm of the play. The staging, though fluid, switches constantly in mere seconds by busy actors that are not part of the scene. On top of that, there’s an avalanche of information to absorb in the form of statistics, scientific facts and opinions. However, the visual scenario proffered by the play is a winning feature with its video projections and replications of televised speeches.

The docudrama is not solely about the figures involved with the case itself, but also tells the story of its playwright, a passionate and pregnant Soutar who is seeking the truth. Told in the first person, it voices the thoughts and emotional involvement of the journalist, in this judicial and philosophical epic.

Seeds is not your ordinary play. It does not concern itself with leisure as it does about conveying information and spreading awareness. It touches on important questions of property and food safety and makes you leave the theatre reflecting on these issues. The comparison that has been made between Monsanto and Schmeiser and the biblical battle of David and Goliath seems accurate — as David had won, so did Schmeiser; not in court perhaps, but in global awareness and critical consciousness.

Seeds plays at The Centaur Theatre until Nov. 24. Find tickets at centaurtheatre.com/seeds.php

For further viewing, see The World According to Monsanto, directed by Marie-Monique Robin:

 

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Traveling through our lost ghost and horror stories

Many people have seen the impossible train floating quickly above the ground, on it’s eternal mission. Press photo.

A black train travels across Canada, collecting souls. It travels over land and rivers, beyond the limits of time, carrying the stories of those who board it.

Many people have seen the impossible train floating quickly above the ground, on it’s eternal mission. Press photo.

Welcome aboard The Spectral Engine, the ghost-train that haunts the pages of Ray Fawkes’ new graphic novel, published earlier this month.

The Toronto-based artist and writer is also known as the author of the acclaimed graphic novel One Soul, winner of the Harvey Award and the Eisner Award.

Fawkes offers us a collection of 13 reported ghost narratives that are part of the Canadian collective imaginary. The Spectral Engine is not a physical machine — it is made of memories and myths that have been retold for generations.

Each stop of the train is the story of one of the ethereal passengers, in the moment they encountered death. They all revolve around the themes of remembrance and redemption.

As the train carries its incorporeal passengers, they have a chance to look at their own life and death, and to evaluate the things they have done such as a Newfoundland alcohol-dealer wanting to redeem himself for all the suffering he had caused, a lonely and shy girl that haunts the tracks of an abandoned Toronto train station, a ghostly nun that is always seen in the surroundings of Alberta’s Dunvegan Bridge.

Fawkes’ book is a celebration of Canadian culture. It makes us rediscover almost forgotten stories and myths of our history. It also touches on rooted human feelings of fear, redemption and hope. Various cultures are represented, such as First Nation tribes and Chinese immigrants.

As the written material is rather scarce, the nebulously crafted illustrations are responsible for transmitting to the reader the feelings and personality of each character. It is a more personal approach to these myths, focusing on the particular people and events that are the origin of these legends.

Fawkes’ artwork blends perfectly with the dark content of his narrative. Shades of black and white, rich in details and careful brushstrokes, help involve the reader in an eerie journey of historical fiction. Some of the drawings are very elaborate and the reader is forced to slow down and examine the details carefully in order to understand what is going on. Nevertheless, Fawkes maintains the fluidity of the narrative which is the very essence of The Spectral Engine’s expedition. It is always moving, always vanishing and reappearing, through the borders of time and space.

The Spectral Engine, featuring a glow-in-the-dark hardcover, is published by McClelland & Stewart and is available for sale on Amazon.

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German teenagers are sure causing a scandal

Eight-time Tony Award-winning play, Spring Awakening blends drama, dance, and live orchestral rock-music. Photos by Keith Race

“I don’t care if you’ve missed shows I’ve been in, or if you miss any show of mine in the future; this show is the one to see,” Matthew Barker tells The Concordian.

Currently part of the cast of the rock musical Spring Awakening, the Concordia student pretty much echoes what most reviews have been saying about the production since its first performance in 1906: it is a must see.

The play was written by German playwright Frank Wedekind, and was prohibited from the stage up until the beginning of the 20th century. Spring Awakening is the story of Wendla and Melchior, teenagers that undergo a sexual awakening in late 19th century Germany; a time of systemic violence and constrictive societies. The musical explores the burgeoning of puberty and the lives of adolescents dealing with issues such as suicide, violence, abortion and sexuality.

Over 100 years later, these issues still provoke contention and controversy.

According to Quesnel, the music was conceived to heighten emotions in the story, and they give power to the kids more so than the adults. Photos by Keith Race.

“Everything we talk about in the play [are] things we should think about and not things we should be hiding.”However, she believes that these issues are worth expressing.

“There is lots of violence in society too. Art is supposed to be provoking and something that people can relate to,” added sound designer Marc-Antoine Legault.

Speaking of sound, a fully costumed live orchestra directed by David Terriault presents everything from soft to rock-heavy songs, and lyrics that convey wholly what the characters are feeling.

“There is lots of swearing and funny things in the songs, because that is how those adolescents express themselves,” said Barker, who plays Georg.

According to Quesnel, the music was conceived to heighten emotions in the story, and they give power to the kids more so than the adults.

The stage design and set are minimal, so the spectator’s attention is focused on the acting. The same is true for the costumes. They remain simple in accordance with the original play written in 1890. However, set and costume designer Anna Delphino used lighter colours on the clothes worn by the teenage characters, in order to differentiate them from the adult characters. Additionally, makeup and hairstyling is understated, highlighting the nuances in the actor’s expressions, giving prominence to their emotional performances.

Doubtless, it takes a lot of talent and passion from the young actors to perform in a musical which has already won eight Tony Awards. When Barker heard about the auditions for Spring Awakening, he listened to the soundtrack continuously.

“I checked the original broadcast on Youtube, I knew I absolutely wanted to do it, so I picked my best song and I auditioned, and here I am,” he said.

Another current Concordia student, Michael Mercer, said that he learned about plans for recreating the production three months before auditions were announced.

“I saw the show in NYC when I was 16 years old and I knew that someday I wanted to do it,” said Mercer, who plays the role of Ernst.

The outstanding emotional performances given by the cast of Spring Awakening is due to the fact that the characters are relatable.

“I can definitely resonate a lot [with] my character Ernst, who is the young and affable gay one. I was certainly young and affable in high school, so I feel a lot of empathy for my character,” said Mercer.

Barker, whose character Georg is a boy infatuated with his elderly piano teacher’s breasts, feels the same way.

“I can relate to him in the fact that I once was a teenager with a sex drive [that] I didn’t know what to do with. So for me he is a lot of fun to play,” he admitted.

Spring Awakening directors Christopher Moore and Gabrielle Soskin (a Concordia graduate herself) have a lot to be proud of. They managed to perfectly blend comic and dramatic aspects. Some of the scenes make you laugh so loudly that you have to cover your mouth; others bring tears to your eyes.

Although working with two directors might seem challenging, everybody is enjoying this experience. According to Mercer, Soskin and Moore really complement each other.

“Chris [Moore] is taking the main reins and Gab [Soskin] is giving her insights where she sees fit,” he said.

Barker added that, for him, it has been great working with Moore because he treats them like real professionals, not just students.

“He gives us a good amount of responsibility while offering the freedom to do what we want, of course adding his input on whether it fits in the scene or not,” affirmed Mercer.

The product of this full crew is a rich fusion of drama, comedy, music, and dance that is a thrill for the senses.

Spring Awakening is produced in Montreal by Persephone Productions, and runs until Oct. 27 at Calixa-Lavallée Theatre.

Photos by Keith Race

 

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Surviving Auschwitz: Anne Frank’s stepsister inspires millions with her story

Eva's Story
Schloss has only one message: universal tolerance and acceptance

For a moment, everybody was silent and their faces mirrored the whirlpool of feelings inside them. Eva Schloss, childhood friend of Anne Frank, has deeply impacted her audience as she has been doing throughout the world for 13 years.

The otherwise noisy lounge of the CSU was the stage of a sweet-looking woman, a survivor of the Holocaust. Although she has published two books of her own, she is mostly known as stepsister and childhood friend of Anne Frank, author of the widely read book, The Diary of Anne Frank. This nonfiction narrative of the horrors suffered by a 13-year-old girl is 65-years-old and has been translated into 60 languages. Schloss was part of this scenario, and she decided to tell her own version of the story, speaking at universities and events.

Schloss was born in Vienna in 1929 and had a peaceful childhood until Hitler gained support of the Austrian population in 1938, obliging Schloss and her family to move to Amsterdam. There is where she met Frank, who was also 11-years-old and immediately became her friend. Schloss offers us a more intimate view of Anne, as a lively girl, who talked a lot and had the habit of collecting boyfriends despite her young age.

Their friendship was suddenly interrupted two years later, when the Nazis started arresting Jews in Amsterdam, and the Schloss family went into hiding. Ultimately, they were denounced two years later by a double-agent nurse and arrested by the Gestapo. Schloss was sent to Auschwitz, where she remained for the duration of the war.

Schloss’s story of the atrocities she lived inside that place is one of fear but, above all, of hope. Her struggle to survive makes us wonder the limits to which human beings can be pushed.

When the Russians finally came and served them food, many of the people inside the camp died simply because their bodies could not manage basic nutrition anymore.

Schloss was able to return to Amsterdam with her mother but her father and brother did not make it.

She has confessed that although she was free, she felt like she had no reason to live anymore. She did not have part of her family and her young soul had seen too many of the world’s maladies.

It was Otto Frank, Anne’s father and Schloss’s future stepfather, who gave her the courage to go on with life and learn to love people again. Otto also had lost his family but had dedicated his life to helping others.

Schloss kept her story to herself for many years, it was a hurtful memory. She thought that the world had learned a lesson but this proved to be false when she saw the brutality of the Vietnam War. She realized that people had not learned anything, and that she would have to speak up. She thinks that although there is no more Auschwitz, the world is full of discrimination of all types and that people are not yet ready to accept others.

This brave lady did not leave her cozy house in London to tell a sad memoir but rather to transmit a message of acceptance and encouragement. She explained the importance of getting to know people that are different from us, because ultimately we all want the same thing: to live with peace and dignity.

Eva Schloss is a trustee of the Anne Frank Educational Trust, and is the author of The Promise and Eva’s Story.

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Signoras of Siena: a literary Journey of poetry and politics

Sixteenth century Siena is not exactly a period most people are accustomed to hearing about, especially when it involves young revolutionary women.

It was a period of political turmoil, economic decline and unknown art production. However, this was the period that professor Konrad Eisenbichler found himself emerged in during his translation of Agnolo Firenzuola’s On the Beauty of Women.

A professor in the Renaissance studies program and in the department of Italian studies at the University of Toronto, Eisenbichler is also the current president of the Canadian Society for Italian Studies and has published several works that focus on the Italian Renaissance.

Last Wednesday, he gave a public lecture at Concordia to discuss his latest publication, “The Sword and the Pen: Women, Poetry and Politics in Sixteenth-Century Siena,” a work that took him 15 years to write.

Eisenbichler’s interest in these unusual Italian women began when he was working on On the Beauty of Women and came across an intriguing female activist, Laudomia Forteguerri. Researching this particular lady, he found that she was not the only activist in 16th century Siena. Actually, there were many other Sienese women engaged in politics and poetry. Suddenly, he had himself another project to work on.

Although his book is filled with strong young ladies, he focuses on three women and their sonnets and poems.

Laudomia Forteguerri, was nonconformist and unafraid of breaking conventions. Her first appearance was in Marcantonio Piccolomini’s dialogues published in 1538, where she is depicted as someone skeptical of God’s leading role in human’s lives. This was especially dangerous because Siena was, during this period, ground for religious issues.

Her poetic production was also daring since the beloved referred to in her poetry was also a feminine figure, suggesting same-sex attraction. This was not clear in the poem itself, as she was careful with her choice of words. However, Piccolomini later revealed her sexual orientation and affection for Margaret of Austria in his book Lettura.

Another bold figure was Aurelia Petrucci, who died at the early age of 31. She was a beautiful signora, a savvy observer of politics and well engaged in society. Her sonnets describe with grief the political situation in Siena as well as the inability of the Sienese citizens to get along with each other. Her work was still sparking attention 150 years later, showing the longevity of her production. The most interesting aspect of Petrucci is that, although it was unusual for women to be political, she evaded public scandal because she was part of a noble family and dutifully followed her social obligations.

Finally, Eisenbichler’s book presents Virginia Martini Salvi, a patriotic woman very much engaged in pro-French movements who was even arrested for producing poems that criticized the Sienese government. Completely against Spanish rulers, she wrote a poem thanking Henry II, King of France, for liberating Siena from Habsburg domination and asked him to take the entire peninsula. Salvi was also a gifted Petrarchist poet with impressive technical skills, prompting Italian musicians to later turn some of her poems into songs.

Professor Eisenbichler’s lecture was an inspiring overview of women who left an indubious mark on Siena’s literary establishment. Petrarchist tradition gave them the opportunity to be in the literary scene but they molded it in a completely new way, due to their particular political perspicacity. Their participation opened a new window in the literary, social and political sphere of 16th century Siena.

 

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