GCTC continues a ripping season with a new play the company developed itself, Rosa Laborde's Like Wolves. The story is promising: a couple go back to the place they honeymooned; where the B'n'B once was is now an urban atrocity; he has a massive heart attack; she finds herself surrounded by her own useless family. It's dark, it's funny, it is a world premiere we are watching. (Ottawa)
It is astounding! One man sits down, takes one of Dickens's mammoth classics, synthesizes it down to play length and then - with an ability that is still astonishing - folds in a score that still resonates, delights and moves. If you have ever warbled "Where is Love?", "Who Will Buy (This Wonderful Feeling)?", or wept over "As Long As He Needs Me" you have rejoiced in the genius of Lionel Bart and his masterpiece Oliver! Rejoice again! (Penetanguishene, Ontario)
There are many adaptations of Chekhov's seminal play, Three Sisters. There are also many plays about the Brontë sisters. Playwright Blake Morrison goes one step further and fuses the two trios to make points about both plays, about the stifling of spirit by rural life and about how cultures - Russian and English - can shadow, contrast and come together. Oddly, Chekhov may have been influenced by a book about the Brontës, and Morrison was influenced by a suggestion from a theatre journalist he originally thought was "bonkers". But he was also influenced by the eerie resemblance of both pieces and by the painting - above - which features (scrubbed out) the Brontës' brother - Branwell - who also painted the portrait. The further resonance with the weak-willed brother of Chekhov's sisters - "scrubbed" from their story - is haunting. You don't need to know either work to "get" We Are Three Sisters, Morrison's play, but we at CharPo sure as hell like the bravery of this company snapping up the work for its Canadian premiere. (Vancouver)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. Please read our guidelines for posting comments.