|
Valentine voyeurism >> Curtain up on passion at Quat'Sous or at home by AMY BARRATT
Other than TNM's sexy production of Roméo et Juliette, which has been extended to Feb. 16, your best bet would probably be Je suis une mouette (non, ce n'est pas ça), a Théâtre de l'Opsis production playing at Quat'Sous. It's a sort of fantasia on Chekhov's The Seagull, a play simply seething with passion, however misplaced and unrequited. It's also a play about theatre people and their passion for their art, and this unique production conceived by Serge Denoncourt has the actors slipping in and out of character, playing scenes from The Seagull then stopping to discuss motivations and interpretations. It might have been dry except that the company--including Monique Miller and Jean-François Casabonne--has captured the genuine excitement of exploring a great text in rehearsal. I'm not sure this show has the stuff to turn a confirmed theatre-hater into a theatre-lover, but I would bet on it to bring a long-dormant passion back to life. The bad news is that Je suis une mouette is already sold out, not just through the weekend, but into its two-week extension. With a bit of begging and cajoling, you might still be able to land tickets for the first week in March. That may still leave you reservation-less for the February festival of the pumping organ. At the risk of enraging theatre-owners all over town, I am suggesting renting a video Sunday night and cuddling up on the couch with your date and/or a large tub of popcorn. There are a lot of movies out there based on stage plays--some of them are even good. Some of them, believe it or not, are even hot. Bearing in mind that it doesn't end well for the lovers, you can't really go wrong with a Romeo and Juliet. Of several film versions out there, the steamiest is Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 adaptation. One of the only stories that rivals Romeo in romance-appeal is Cyrano de Bergerac, and the version to see is the 1990 French production starring Gerard Depardieu. Although, come to think of it, nobody gets to have sex in the movie, but believe me, after sitting through more than three hours of sublimation, you and your date will be ready to rock. Available in the original, with text by Edmond Rostand, or subtitled in Anthony Burgess' brilliant English translation. For something a little less straight and a little closer to home, check out Lilies, John Greyson's film adaptation of Michel-Marc Bouchard's Les Feluettes. It was hard to imagine how such a theatrical play--in which, among other conventions, all the women are played by men--could be transferred successfully to the screen, but it works beautifully. The film is gorgeous to look at and brilliantly acted by the likes of Brent Carver and the sylphlike Danny Gilmore (TNM's Roméo). Ex-Montrealer Alex Chapman is ravishing as Mlle Desrosiers. When it comes to lesbian content, I confess I'm at a loss. The Children's Hour? I don't think so. How about a film not exactly based on a play but featuring some fine Canadian actresses? Director Patricia Rozema's When Night Is Falling is more explicit, but I prefer her unpretentious I've Heard the Mermaids Singing. Sheila McCarthy is funny and sweet in it and Paule Baillargeon and Anne-Marie MacDonald look good.
|
Hoping to impress your theatre-loving squeeze this Valentine's Day? Looking for a theatrical experience to warm your cockles and mussels? Well, frankly, amid about 30 plays currently running in town, I see little of a hot and steamy nature to recommend.