by AMY BARRATT

Last week, I attended the opening night of Harvest, the second annual Montreal GLBT International Theatre Festival. As a matter of fact, at the request of a slightly frazzled artistic director, I got to declare said festival “officially open.” Apparently this task must be performed by “a member of the cultural community” and I was the closest thing they could find after somebody really cultured backed out.

Anyway, in spite of a date change (it was originally a late October event) and last-minute venue changes (Station C is out, three new venues are in), the festival did indeed go up at the Just for Laughs Museum Studio. The roomy, cabaret-style space appeared to be filled to capacity for the opening production, Sex and La Cité.

I was one of many Fringers turned away from this sold-out show last June, so of course I was dying to see what all the fuss was about.

If you’ve never seen an episode of Sex and the City, this spoof probably won’t do much for you. If you’re even a passing fan, though, you’ve got to appreciate the bang-on impersonations given by the four main actresses of Dum Blond Productions. They’ve got the body language and even the voices of their characters down pat. It makes you realize, if nothing else, just how over-the-top Kim Cattrall’s acting was. The actress playing Carrie has a good time with the character’s rambling voice-overs. I also liked that she would spontaneously break into “Tomorrow” during stressful situations (a poke at Sarah Jessica Parker, who began her career in Broadway’s Annie).

Transplanting the New York hipsters to Montreal allows them to get in some easy laughs about poutine and the Suburban. They also make sure to use every talent at their disposal: The actress playing Charlotte gets to show off a strong singing voice during a karaoke scene at a drag bar.

The four gal pals are supported by a chorus of hunks and babes of varying ability. A couple are hot hot hot, a couple are just enthusiastic amateurs. I was a little surprised to hear people fluffing lines, considering how many times they’ve done the show (although it was a new venue). The script could still use a little tightening up; there’s no excuse for it to run any longer than an actual episode of the show.

Next up on the festival bill was a pair of early Michel Tremblay plays performed, in French, by Productions Kiss Kiss. La Duchesse de Langeais had some poignant moments, but I thought the characterization could have been much bigger. The whole point of la duchesse is that she’s larger-than-life, so that even when she’s sitting alone drinking, she is giving a performance.

More successful was the little gem Surprise Surprise, a farce that replaces revolving doors with telephones. Two girlfriends planning a surprise party for a third create a more and more complicated mess of mistaken identities and misunderstandings. Casting two of the parts with males in drag served to illustrate just how much you can get away with in the theatre if only the actors are committed to their roles. Especially in comedies and plays that are not “realistic,” we should have more cross-gender casting.

Harvest, The Festival, continues to Sunday with performances at Just For Laughs Museum and Théâtre Ste-Catherine. Visit www.villagescene.com for details.

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