by AMY BARRATT

Between now and August 5, Montreal will be welcoming an estimated 250,000 visitors to the Outgames and the conference on LGBT rights that precedes it—not to mention our own Divers/Cité.

To Davyn Ryall of Village Scene Productions, that means one thing: 250,000 potential theatregoers. That’s why, despite having his hands full producing Harvest/La Récolte, this city’s LGBT theatre festival coming up in September, Ryall felt he needed to put on a play right now and try to snag some of those tourist dollars.

Enter William and James, a “tragic love story” set in mid-19th-century England. It is being performed in a converted conference room at the Hotel Taj Mahal in the Village. An unconventional venue perhaps, but better suited to the play and to its audience than a traditional theatre, according to director Ryall.

“This play doesn’t have a lot of tricks and whistles,” he explains. “It doesn’t have fancy lighting or anything, so the technical support available in a traditional theatre wasn’t all that important. I knew I wanted the audience in the room with the actors, and a small controllable space. There’s a lot of breaking of the fourth wall in the blocking.”

The playwright, Robert Tsonos, is a Montrealer now living in Tokyo. The play was produced at Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille in 2003 and has also had staged readings in Melbourne, Australia, and Washington, D.C. This Montreal premiere has an extra twist in that it is being performed in the original English and in a new French translation commissioned by Village Scene.

“The most compelling thing about the play is that its themes are easily applicable to modern times,” says Ryall. “We could have mounted it in any period and it would work, because the theme of control in relationships and how people use whatever power they have in relationships is relevant in any period. The setting of Victorian England adds colour, but it’s really a tragedy about having this relationship and not admitting what the relationship really is.”

The publicity for the production makes reference to Brokeback Mountain and that’s because, according to Ryall, there is a thematic similarity, in that both stories deal with “an unavowed love.”

The original idea was to have the same actors perform both English and French versions of the play. In the end, Ryall, who is directing, producing and playing a small part as a servant, has the same actor playing James in both versions but two different actors playing William.

Since the makeshift theatre is located right next to the hotel Taj Mahal’s restaurant, l’ Orient, a special “dinner theatre” option is being offered. A William and James table d’hôte offers three dinner choices and priority service; ticket-holders also receive a free glass of wine.

Somewhere between beach volleyball and the Pride Ball, William and James might just be the perfect cultural interlude.

Matinee and evening performances of William And James are scheduled for most days between now and Aug. 5, see www.villagescene.com FOR DETAILS, $12–$20. dinner reservations must be made separately by calling 287-7487 or 833-3222

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