by AMY BARRATT

There must be a rule in the Canadian Playwrights’ manual that sooner or later, in order to join the pantheon, you must write the story of adult sisters (one brother optional) returning to the place of their dysfunctional childhood to witness the death of—or to bury—a parent, usually the mother. Daniel MacIvor, better known as a Toronto bad boy, fulfills the prerequisite by returning to his Cape Breton roots in Marion Bridge.

Best known for angry, absurdist works like Never Swim Alone and a string of one-man shows (House, Monster, In on It) that he performs himself, with Marion Bridge MacIvor is like an abstract artist unexpectedly doing a show of nudes or still-lifes. This is him saying, “See, I can draw” (craft a conventional plot, that is).

Marion Bridge has all the juicy, emotional content that Tightrope Theatre loves to sink its teeth into. With their production of the play, currently on stage at Geordie space, Tightrope confirms my impression of it as more of an actors’ showcase than a full-fledged theatre company. Although they have a full slate of designers on board, this still feels like hey-kids-let’s-put-on-a-show student theatre. While there’s nothing really wrong with that, it’s difficult to think of a compelling reason to recommend this production to the public. I suppose it’s a chance to see an unusual MacIvor piece—one that hasn’t to my knowledge been produced in this city before—and to be introduced to some solid actors you’ve probably never heard of before. If this is enough for you, then by all means go, but I was left strangely cold by this production.

I never watch a Tightrope show thinking, “This is bad acting,” but even if I’m thinking, “This is good acting,” it means I’m aware that it is acting. The three young actresses (a little too young for the roles) playing MacIvor’s McKeigan sisters—Claire Brosseau, Debra Felstead and Gillian Stevens-Guille—are close to the point of really clicking with their characters but, at least as of opening night, they weren’t there yet.

The root of the problem may lie with the Meisner technique, upon which all of Tightrope’s shows, under artistic director Jacqueline McClintock, are based. The three actresses in this show, like their director, are all graduates of New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse, where Meisner is king. Their sentimental attachment to their school and their method is showing, and it’s beginning to smack of self-indulgence.

Sweet 15

Meanwhile, Michel Marc Bouchard’s early masterpiece, Les Feluettes is back in a new production directed by Serge Denoncourt at Espace GO. Hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the gay love story that’s also about the nature of theatre premiered at Salle Fred-Barry. Denis Roy, who played the adolescent Simon in that production, returns to play that character’s older self this time around. Les Feluettes was made into the 1996 film Lilies, by John Greyson. Bouchard, you will recall, also penned Les Muses orphelines, about three sisters and a brother returning home to bury their mother and face their demons. Hmmm… :

Marion Bridge runs at Espace Geordie (4001 Berri)
until Dec. 8; Wed–SaT, 8pm; Sun 2pm; $15/$18, 593-0242

Les Feluettes is at Espace Go (4590 St-Laurent)
until Dec. 7, 8pm; Sun, 4pm, 8pm; $18/$28, 845-4890

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