From Page 13

Bouchard is a renowned Quebecois playwright known for
plays that are political and social allegory, Lilies, The Orphan
Muses and A Tale of Teeke are plays that have had good produc-
tions in Vancouver, but are only a small part of Bouchard’s pro-
lific output. The Coronation Vivage , written in 1990, had its first
performance in 1995 and has since been re-worked by Bouchard
for the new millennium as his self-styled “Canadian play.”

The challenge to any company mounting, this play outside of
Quebec is how to signal all of the allegory that is at the heart of
Marcel Mare Bouchard’s text. What plays in Papineau doesn’t
necessarily translate in Vancouver: when the Empress of France
leaves Montreal bearing many of Canada’s representatives to the
coronation of Queen Elizabeth HI, Union facks are waved by the
passengers at the Quebecois spectators, To mest of the
Vancouver audience last Monday this action seemed quite
appropriate. I would like tu sit ina Montreal theatre and feel the
Quebecois response to this same imagery.

On board this Canadian
Pacific floating palace that pre-
serves class distinction by the
cost of passage are a Montreal
miafioso and his two sons and
a Canadian cabinet minister
with his wilt and daughter.
Like their country, both fami-

’ fies have issues that revolve

around betrayal, sacrifice and
guilt. The French “Chief” has
damaged one son by his
actions and will be faced with
sacrificing his youngest’s soul
during the voyage as payment
for new British identities.

; The Minister’s past also
contained sons — three, all killed on the beaches of Dieppe, sac-
rificed by British military incompetence, not that Canada’s histo-
ry will necessarily acknowledge that unpalatable truth.

The problem with most allegorical plays are that the extend-
ed metaphor — in this instance, confederation — becomes top
heavy; that the message burdens the action. The only option for

an actor is to deal with the immediate action, make that as

truthful as possible and fet the
playwright’s words and per-
haps things like set design
choices handle the bigger pie-
ture,

Unfortunately for this
Playhouse production, director
Marti Maraden has opted for a
(good) naturalistic set from
Pam Johnson while allowing
her actors to offer a variety of
styles that don't blend.

Erie Bojm, 13, is excellent
as Sandro, The Chiet’s
youngest son, as is his pursuer,
Allan Morgan, Vince Metealtec
as The Minister is understated
and effective while Patti Allan
gets away with more in the
pursuit of comic relief (ably
helped by the three cleverly
costumed Elizabeths).

On the negative side of the
scales are the injured teenage
offspring played by Kevin
McDonald and Amy Price-

. Francis fike refugees from a

Chekhov tragedy. Far worse is
the operatic hand-wringing of
Elizabeth Shepherd as the
mother of the Dieppe dead.
Leon Pownall as The Chief
doesn’t fall into Shepherd’s
excesses but fails to provide a
needed core to a play that
Bouchard says is about
Fatherhood — proving once
again that bulk does not
equat¢ to power or menace on
stage.

Any possibility of believing
the monstrous truths in the

SOME of the cheeky crew at the Vancouver TheatreSports
ing Wednesday-Saturday to be named lmpre-vivior. Information: 738-7013.

photo Vervcouver’
Lezgue who are compet-

. : Bae:

League

personal stories of the play’s characters is constantly undercut by

_ the failings of Shepherd and Pownall, while Bouchard’s message
of Confederation is muted by some of this production’s choices
and our Anglophobic car.

What remains is a production that, by default, is about sacri-
fice, but while Bouchard’s text remains intellectually fascinating
and some of the acting on stage is excellent I cannot recom-
mend you give up anything to see this one.

ooo

On the other hand, if you liked the recent TV hit Survivor, the
latest packaging of improv laughs from the Vancouver
Theatresports League is definitely worth sacrificing an evening.

The challenges remain the same and audience members still
think a proctologist is a hilarious choice when asked to pick a pro-
fession, but the concept of choosing one surviving Impro-vivor at
the end of an evening heightens the stakes beyond the usual level
of competition.

There were several new (to me) faces among the eight actors I
saw on stage last week, but all were funny, ranging in ability from
good to excellent — leaving only the host as potential shark bait.

CE es photo Andros Lanthior
' LEON Pownall (left to cight), Eric Bojm and Alian
‘Morgan in The Coronation Voyage.

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Linda QUIBELL

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original music J.J. McCOLL

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