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Youth runs wild >> Death and gospel from Farthingale Productions
by AMY BARRATT
Instead of a season that's spread out over the year, this young company has chosen to produce three shows in rapid succession. Last week, La Bella Luna, a co-production with Moonchild and Me productions, began the festival. August 28 through September 11 Farthingale will present two plays in repertory at the Centaur I space: Abra Cadaver, a dark comedy by local boy Franco Proietti, and the musical Godspell. Abra Cadaver, a story about a video clerk who accidentally kills a customer, had a well-received run at Geordie space last summer. Since then, Proietti, an Education student at McGill who has written two previous plays, has made some changes and added a few scenes. This production, directed by Jonathan Rondeau, features a new cast, including Kyle Allatt, Catherine Tassé and Cory Fantie. Also new this time out is a "soundtrack" composed of songs donated by local bands such as Gangster Politics, Pigeonhole, Golden Mean and the unfortunately defunct Doc Blinky. It sounds like a good way to appeal to a young crowd and that's exactly what Farthingale hopes to do, with a board of directors composed of 20 and 21 year olds, and an average age of 22 among cast and crew.
Christ, a musical! Music has been an important aspect of the company's work since its first production, the operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, two years ago. By putting on a full-scale musical like Godspell, they are filling a gap in the local theatre scene that has existed for a couple of years since the Lyric Theatre's financial woes caused it to lie low. Either good luck or good business sense has them performing at the Centaur theatre, the same space where the Lyric Theatre has presented its large "book" musicals and, more recently, musical revues. Godspell, although first produced in the '70s, still has something to say to a new generation. "It spoke to us, and we're young," reasons musical director Jason Howell. "The messages in there are universal." It's that universality that this Godspell will emphasize, rather than an exclusively Christian viewpoint. When designated director Neelkanth Patel, of Hindu background, suggested he might not be the ideal choice for this show based on the gospel according to Matthew, fellow board members reassured him. "We said we wanted to make it the least preachy, the least heavy-duty Christian as possible," says Howell. This production sets the action in Montreal, with the "Christ" figure, Stephen (Daniel Goldberg), bringing his message of love and hope to the workers in an industrial park. A peace-and-love musical and a comedy about death. If two shows as different from each other as Abra Cadaver and Godspell prove anything about the 20-something generation, it's that their tastes are varied. And least, that's what Farthingale Productions is banking on.
Godspell plays Aug. 28, Sept. 3, 5 & 11 at 8:30pm and Sept. 4 & 5 at 1:30pm; $15 general, $10 students and seniors. |
I'll say this for them: the "emerging" theatre artists of Farthingale Productions know their city. They've figured out that in Montreal, if you call it a festival, they will come.