So a theatre review can actually determine careers and livelihoods. I saw the play Cantate de guerre at the Theatre d'Aujourdhui last week and have to say it's not a ton'o'fun. It's a relentless poem about the evils of war, with words spoken by one actor Paul Ahmarani, who plays a sadistic warrior whose humanity was taken away when his family was brutally murdered.
I have seen Ahmarani in at least three plays and I appreciate but don't love his work. Six other actors speak as a sort of chorus and while the stage is nicely presented and the entire crew came out for a special talk back session explaining their approach to the art, I can't say that I'd say you should rush to the theatre for this one.
And then there was the famous Gaetan Charlebois moment when he stood up near the end of a play and just started ranting that it was shit.
ReplyDeleteI saw a retired Maurice Podbrey do something, well, not really similar but kinda in that vein a few years ago. There was a play at the MAI that received significant funding but it wasn't even a play, it was just a bunch of actors riffing on any old thing to provoke an improv discussion with the audience. And so they just sorta mumbled some stuff, one played a sax for a few seconds and then they were soliciting all sorts of comments from those in attendance. Some inarticulate shlump in the crowd got up and babbled some half-baked anti-car nonsense. So Podbrey waited for his turn and, surrounded by his table of giggling young females, said loudly, "This is not a play. This is not drama, I didn't come to talk about motor cars, I came to see a play!"
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