by AMY BARRATT

Although he has been actively involved in Montreal theatre for some seven years, Gabor Zsigovics is probably best known as the guy who once stood up and harangued an audience at the Centaur for applauding what he considered to be a mediocre production.

“I’m not politically correct,” opines the artistic director of Q Art Theatre, currently presenting Soap Opera, by Hungarian Gyorgy Spiro at the DuMaurier theatre in the Monument-National. “But the first time I saw this play, even I was kind of, ‘You can’t do that. You can’t say that.’”

Zsigovics is explaining that his countryman’s play is likely to be controversial, “not because of anything I’m doing with it, but just because it was controversial wherever they showed it.” The play, in an English translation by Andrew Bock, is about the concept of monetary “reparations” for victims of the Holocaust and their families. A woman is approached and told she is entitled to a piece of the pie because her name appears on a list. Her immediate response: how come they’re still keeping lists of Jews?

Soap Opera asks whether there can ever be reparation for such suffering and whether these schemes aren’t just a way for people to assuage their guilty consciences. It presents a debate, according to Zsigovics, but doesn’t take sides. Nevertheless, this is a sensitive topic, and not just within the Jewish community. There have been calls for reparations to numerous groups, including native peoples, the descendants of American slaves and victims of the atomic bomb.

When last I spoke with him, Zsigovics was hoping to have an organized discussion after the performance, but he had not been able to get anyone to agree to moderate such a discussion.

“A number of people haven’t wanted to be involved in this production,” says Zsigovics. “But I like to quote the author. He once said, ‘The Greeks didn’t invent drama for the weak-hearted.’”

WADE IN THE CULTURE

An addendum to my recent Fall Arts Preview: Black Theatre Workshop will present Wade in the Water, a world premiere by Nova Scotian George Boyd, who is BTW’s playwright in residence this year. This one-man vehicle tells the story of a former slave who journeys from Georgia to Nova Scotia and ultimately to the shores of Africa. The production is directed by film and stage actor Richard Donat and stars Tyrone Benskin who has had a long association with BTW in its many phases. Runs Oct. 30 to Nov. 9 at the MAI (3680 Jeanne-Mance, #103).

BTW is also producing an event during the Journées de la culture this weekend. It’s a poetry jam in which up to 20 participants will be asked to choose a word from a thesaurus page and compose a poem around it. The writers will then read their poems and judges will choose a winner. It takes place on Sept. 27–28, 6 p.m. at Salon Daomé (141 Mont-Royal E.), free.

Another noteworthy event in the Journées, Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal presents Women on the Main, a series of six 10-minute plays by local women playwrights to be presented in different locations on St-Laurent. In honour of PWM’s 40-year history, each play is set in a different decade, from 1963 to 2013. Call 843-3685 to find out if there’s any room left for these popular tours departing from Playwrights’ Workshop (4324 St-Laurent) on Sept. 27–28 at 1 and 4 p.m., free.

SOAP OPERA RUNS AT THE MONUMENT-NATIONAL (1192 ST-LAURENT) UNTIL OCT. 19, $15–$22, 871-2224

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