Travesties-Soulpepper
Last night, I took in
"Travesties" ,
Tom Stoppard's 1974 play at the Young Centre in the Distillery. What an auspicious beginning to Soulpepper's 2009 season! I can only hope that the rest of the season is as good as this, their first presentation of the year. The play's central conceit is the fictional meeting in Zurich, 1917, of Lenin, James Joyce and Tristan Tzara, one of the founders of the Dadaist movement. Funny, pithy, instructive and hilarious all at the same time, the play turns time, history and language on its head, and weaves around and through, Oscar Wilde's
"The Importance of Being Ernest" .How? Beats me, but it all makes sense in a nonsensical way, and the effort of listening to every word spoken is a reward in itself. Language is the real star of the play, and the excellent cast (featuring Soulpepper stalwarts, Diego Matamaros, Jordan Pettle, and David Storch)understand that. I'd go see this again in a heartbeat.
A word about the venue itself;
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts had me hooked the first time I entered it. It's one of the most versatile and most comfortable performances spaces in the city. It's turned into the anchor for the Distillery District which has yet to fully integrate itself into the city. Time will address that, but until it does, the Young Centre draws people to the area, even on a freaking cold night like last night. Both theatres in the Centre offer an intimacy rarely found in other spaces, and Soulpepper's commitment to bringing classic theatre to the city has never faltered. I love seeing the same actors in different roles, in different plays. I love seeing them hone their talent on each season's challenges, often successfully. Thanks,
Albert Schultz, for sticking around for more than a decade and seeing this through.
http://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/09_season/travesties.aspx