The story of Marie-Joseph Angelique and life in early 18th
century Quebec are great sagas that deserve to be told and examined, least of
all because they are about Canada. Yes, times are a-changing but we still don’t
like to talk about and learn much about our history.
The late Lorena Gale wrote a play, Angelique, in 1998 and Factory and
Obsidian Theatre have produced it and it is now playing at Factory Theatre,
Toronto. Don’t waste your time reading this or any review – just go see it.
Jenny Brizard and Karl Graboushas. Photo: Andrew Alexander
Rape is an ugly word and you need not imagine violence and threats in
the act. He had sex with her because she was his property and she could not possibly
refuse. She had a child (more than one during the play) and thanks to extremely
high mortality rates at the time, they all died.
Most of our images of slavery come from the American south where
brutality was hidden behind a patina of gentility and civilized behaviour.
Welcome home to early Quebec where life is good for the successful who are
served by slaves and indentured servants and
racism is so deeply rooted that they cannot conceive of these people as
anything but common property. Flogging them is routine.
Angelique has to put up with Francois and the sexually dried up prune Thérèse
as she strikes up relations with underlings Claude (Olivier Lamarche) and César
(Omari Newton) and tries to escape from her situation. She is unsuccessful, to
put it bluntly. There is a serious fire in Montreal, and she is accused of starting
it. After some vignettes of a farcical trial based on laughable hearsay evidence
she is convicted and hanged in 1734.
The production is done in two chronological periods, the eighteenth and
twentieth centuries. At the beginning, Francois is wearing a modern suit and
tie as do the other characters. Then he appears in 18th century
attire. Are we to get the message that not much has changed in the past two and
a half centuries? Some attitudes may not have changed but much has changed and
the two latitudes approach is unconvincing and unnecessary.
What has not changed or diminished is Angelique’s riveting story. Her
search for freedom, her dreams and those of Claude and Cesar of a better life
and the frightful society in which she lived.
Francois dies and the fight for corporate control of his share in the
business with his best friend and partner Ignace (Chip Chuipka) by Thérèse is
realistic and things, it seems, have not changed much since then. Ignace is a
polished and civilized gentleman who is ruthless to the bone and racist to the
marrow.
Thérèse in the hands of France Rolland shows the racist and brutal
attitude of her society towards slaves and servants but does display some spunk
in her fight for corporate control with Ignace.
Newton, Lamarche and PJ Prudat as the servant Manon do a fine job in
representing the subservient class.
The production features original music by Sixtrum Percussion Ensemble.
The players appear above the playing area and play almost throughout the performance.
I have no idea what they were supposed to add to a fine play. I found them
annoying at best and more often interfering with the performance. On a number
of occasions, the percussion beat fell on a spoken syllable, drowning it.
Most of the performance is done on a raised platform that resembles the
place of execution. A gibbet is the first thing we see. Effective work by Set
Designer Eo Sharp.
The set design assisted greatly in the numerous scene changes in the
play and provided the necessary fluidity. Director Mike Payette made good use
of it and, aside from the unnecessary and annoying music, he deserves kudos for
a fine production of a significant Canadian play.
__________
Angelique by Lorena Gale in a
production by Factory and Obsidian Theatre in a Black Theatre Workshop and
Tableau D’Hôte Theatre co-production runs until April 21, 2019 at the Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst
Street, Toronto, Ontario. www.factorytheatre.ca/
James Karas is the Senior Editor –
Culture of The Greek Press
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