Tag: Segal Centre

Categories
Arts

Break a leg Mrs. Robinson

The Segal centre kicked off their new season on Sunday with it’s premiere of The Graduate. The play is an adaptation by Terry Johnson based on the novel by Charles Webb and the iconic motion picture screenplay by Calder Williams and Buck Henry.  As you may know, it is the story of Benjamin Braddock, a young man that, after graduation, finds himself in the middle of what will end up being one of the most defining moments of his young adult life. This sad, precarious and very significant moment involves being entangled in a dangerous love triangle and being torn between the mother and daughter of his father’s business partner. Seduced by the magnetism of experience, but mesmerized by a hopeful future, Benjamin is caught in a tidal wave of events that will shape the course of his life.

The play is dropping the audience directly into the universe of the ‘60s. In this era of social, political and cultural transformation, the young brave baby boomers seek to break from the old monotony and the plastic facade of happiness of the post-war Silent Generation. From its kitschy-looking carpeted floors to it’s glamorous jungle-like dresses, The Graduate evokes this liberated generation. It also portrays an earlier world surfing on beautiful revolutions and personal discoveries which successfully relate to today’s issues. A stellar cast and crew are included in the play, notably Stratford’s young leading man Luke Humphrey as Benjamin and Shaw Festival’s favourite Brigitte Robinson as Mrs. Robinson. Also, an original score of live music composed by Matthew Barber and Justin Rutledge and inspired by Simon and Garfunkel’s soundtrack of the famous motion picture will surely charm the audience. Andrew Shaver’s direction also gives the play a promising value.

The Graduate will be presented from Aug. 31 to Sept. 21 at the Segal Center for Performing Arts. Also, for you theatre lovers out there, on Aug. 31 at 11 a.m., the Segal Theatre will be hosting Sunday-@-The Segal: Talkin’ ’bout my generation The Graduate, with guests Andrew Shaver, Justin Rutledge and Matthew Barber. Furthermore, you should check out Class Act Theatre Club, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m., a pre-show conversation with Andrew Shaver, and Monday Night Talkbacks, Sept. 8 and 15 after the 7 p.m. performances, with members of the cast.

Categories
Arts

What does it mean? What is RED?

Mark Rothko (left, played by Randy Hughson) and his young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). Press photo.
Mark Rothko (left, played by Randy Hughson) and his young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). Press photo.

“What is red?” shouts Mark Rothko, as he begins on another of his impassioned, belligerent speeches.

Indeed RED, by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright John Logan, is riddled with so many torrential philosophical speeches that the audience nearly drowns in them. If you can follow Rothko’s vehement rants on the faceted layers of art, his own work and the work of his contemporaries, then you may walk away from RED enlightened.

However, you may also leave disappointed, as any person would who experiences as many climaxes in 96 minutes as RED presents, but no real satisfaction.

RED, directed by Governor General Award-winning actor and director Martha Henry, takes place over the two-year span in which it took abstract expressionist artist, Mark Rothko, to create a series of large scale murals for Manhattan’s Four Season’s restaurant. The play opens in 1958 as Rothko (played by Randy Hughson) is joined by a young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). A fictionalized account of Rothko’s first attempt to create a space where one might interact and contemplate his artwork, RED portrays Rothko’s struggle with the idea that this project is an insult to his artistic integrity. Throughout the play, Rothko’s notion of art and meaning is challenged by Ken, a dilettante artist with a tragic past.

Hughson as Rothko is vivid and enigmatic. His portrayal of Rothko, the aging, frustrated artist struggling with his own significance is three-dimensional and lively. He commands the stage, shadowing the less dynamic Dwyre. Initially, this overpowering seems intentional, juxtaposing the dominant character of Rothko against the submissive character of Ken. However, when the focus shifts to Ken, as his character begins to come into his own, Dwyre’s emotional portrayal pales in comparison to Hughson and the audience is unable to engage with him as much.

The play takes place in a single location, the studio Rothko rented when he was painting the Four Season murals. Eo Sharp has constructed a set that is said to be accurate to the actual studio Rothko used. Indeed, Sharp’s set is reflective of what one would presume an artist’s studio to look like, down to the worn, dirty furniture and the amalgamation of canvases in various stages of completion.

There is no intermission and the scene changes are done in a half blackout, flowing seamlessly with the rhythm of the play. Time’s passage is marked by comments pertaining to the progress of the series of murals. Costume changes are, for the most part, done on stage, but with a naturalness that is easily accepted by the audience as organic to the world of the play.

Logan has created a philosophically heavy play that seems to serve as a biography of Rothko, an illustration of his methods and mentality. The audience is berated with speeches that preach on all manner of subjects, from the work of Nietzsche, to the reasoning of Pollock, to expostulations on the nature of Rothko’s work and the meaning of the colours red and black. These speeches are thought provoking, but the sheer number of them and the way they are angrily thrown out at the bewildered audience results in the alienation of said audience. Indeed, as the play ran on, the speeches became monotonous and some audience members were seen to be dozing off.

“You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting,” quotes Rothko from Rembrandt’s painting “Belshazzar’s Feast.” Verily, Logan’s RED has been weighed and found wanting.

RED runs until Dec. 16 at The Segal Centre. For showtimes and ticket information visit segalcentre.org

Watch the play’s trailer:

Categories
Arts

“A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”

William Shakespeare’s historical dramas aren’t known for their humour, but perhaps they should be. What’s funny about a man so evil he kills half his extended family to gain power? Nothing. But nonetheless it’s a bloody barrel of laughs.

Metachroma is a new theatre company in Montreal which seeks to transcend issues of race within the theatre. Mike Payette, a graduate of Concordia and one of Metachroma’s founders said that the company would provide “an opportunity for actors of colour to come together on the same stage, without needing a reason.”

For their debut, Metachroma put on a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by Concordia theatre professor Joel Miller, which runs until Sept. 30.

Historical dramas are not for everyone because they can be dense and hard to swallow even when performed by such a lively and engaging cast of actors. In this case, the team at Metachroma did admirably, tackling a challenging show, keeping it light-hearted, and managing to hold the audience’s attention for the majority of the two and a half hour production.

Richard III tells the story of a man, deformed at birth and in line for the throne of England, who uses devious means and unsavory underlings to eliminate those who stand between himself and the crown. Richard, it seems, is bad to the core and has zero problems ordering the violent murders of his brothers, his wife, his nephews and pretty much anyone else who challenges him.

Jamie Robinson, another Concordia graduate, was an absolute highlight as King Richard. He managed to be extremely likable even while scheming, plotting and murdering. His delivery was very funny and fast-paced, giving a refreshing twist to the complex language. He had an incredible energy about him which really helped the audience connect with him during his performance.

Lucinda Davis, who played – among other things – Lady Anne, was also a hit. She displayed a level of conviction which can be difficult to achieve with Shakespeare and displayed a remarkable range of emotions and characters from start to finish.

The overall feel of the play was positive though some of the design aspects could have used more attention to detail. The plain yellow-washed backdrop was at once conveniently neutral and overly plain. There was a beautiful golden wire sculpture of a castle suspended from the ceiling of the theatre, which I appreciated very much, but it would have been nice to see that level of creativity throughout the set.

The same applies to the costumes. King Richard’s multiple costumes, and the Duke of Buckingham’s clothing, were well-chosen and fitting for the part. Other costumes, however, such as those which appeared on more minor characters were ill-fitting. It felt like a hodge podge which lacked adequate funding and esthetic design overall.

In the end, Metachroma’s mission was to create a piece of theatre that would make the audience forget about issues of race and just take in the performance as it is. Payette said they wanted to put forward a “very honest portrayal of the play,” that would “challenge the perception of race onstage,” and that they did. The diversity of the cast proved only a strength in assembling such a talented group, and though the visuals may have been bare-bones, the quality of performance exceeded my expectations.

Richard III runs Sept. 19-30 at the Segal Centre with tickets starting at $18.

Categories
Arts

A dangerous idea, a beautiful mind

Scientific Americans is the story of a young scientist's moral struggle.

Dynamite was originally intended for the industrious and innocent purpose of construction, but it was turned into a weapon of war. The Chinese were searching for the elixir of immortality when they discovered gunpowder and

Scientific Americans is the story of a young scientist's moral struggle.

originally used it in firework displays, but it later became the ignition to the weapon that revolutionized warfare.
These inventions of innocuous design became the products of death and destruction. But is the inventor to blame? What is the moral responsibility of creators to the use of their creations? Playwright John Mighton explores this question and many more in his play Scientific Americans, which opened Feb. 5 at the Segal Centre.
Produced by

and directed by Andrew Shaver, the show stars Trent Pardy as Jim, a young scientist struggling with the knowledge that his research with the U.S. Department of Defense may be used to create a powerful new weapon. As he wrestles with questions of moral integrity, his relationship with his fiancée Carol (played by Julia Course) begins to go downhill and she forces him to choose between her and the DoD.
This darkly comic love story is set in mid-1980s America, but asks the audience to consider moral questions still relevant today. “The play centres around questions of relationships and morality that I think are applicable to a lot of topics still around today; the creation of bombs, creation of weapons. Topics that were relevant then, are relevant now and will be relevant years from now,” explained stage manager Sarah-Marie Langlois.
Although the play is set against an American background, the themes are universal and are not affected by being portrayed by a Canadian cast. The show isn’t based on any specific events, but centres on the post-Cold War dystopia and mentality that pervaded the U.S. at that time.
Langlois has been working for SideMart for a couple years now and has stage managed a fair share of the company’s shows. She noted that SideMart has certain aesthetic qualities of production that many other companies in Montreal do not, which she said is what makes working for them so exciting. “It’s hard to pin down exactly what makes them so unique, it’s kind of like trying to catch a unicorn,” she said.
SideMart’s unique theatrical style has garnered them several awards and plenty of notoriety. For an example of their unique approach to theatre marketing, one has only to view their YouTube video promoting the show. Unlike traditional promotional theatre videos, this video features a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of director Andrew Shaver. The video pokes fun at the cast and crew, showing the good-natured, fun-loving side of the company; an inviting spirit that should encourage audiences to feel at home with the cast and crew of SideMart. The video was conceived and directed by George Allister who also did video work for the production of Scientific Americans.

Scientific Americans runs from Feb. 5 to Feb. 26. Student tickets are $22. For more information or to reserve your tickets, visit www.segalcentre.org. You can check out the trailer at http://youtu.be/Lr2o6FzoIbM.

Exit mobile version