ROGERS V. ROGERS - REVIEW OF 2025 PRODUCTION AT CROW’S THEATRE

Reviewed by James Karas

Rogers v. Rogers would be the title (or the style of cause, in legalese) of a lawsuit between two people with the same name. When I saw the title of Michael Healy’s play, I thought we would be treated to courtroom drama among members of the super-rich  at Rogers Communications. The play is based on Alexandra Posadzki’s book Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire and that is a good clue to the scope of the feuds involved.

Whatever the title, the play is not about courtroom battles. The play is about clashes of egos, family warfare and boardroom battles. And it is much more than that in its complexity and scope to the extent that it is not always easy to follow. Few people across Canada have not heard of Rogers and its millions of customers know it more intimately than they may want, try phoning them for service.

The play is performed by one actor, Tom Rooney, who plays more than a dozen parts. He gives a bravura performance with quick, simple changes of costume and change in speech habit when acting as Edward Rogers, one of the main characters in the saga. Edward is the son of the founder of the company, Ted Rogers, who grew the company into a conglomerate worth billions. Ted  did not think very highly of Edward and he did not consider him leadership material.

Tom Rooney in Rogers v. Rogers. Photo: Dahlia Katz

The play opens with a frightful dissertation by Matthew Boswell of the Competition Bureau. He asks if we know anything about the Bureau and we don’t. he informs us that Rogers has applied for approval of its purchase of Shaw Communications, a competitor and one of only four telecommunications company in Canada. If approved, it would reduce competition severely and leave only three companies in control of mobile phones and internet and whatever else those companies control. Boswell goes much further in his description of Canadian monopolies by other corporations like the supermarket chains. It is happening, we know truly little about it and the Competition Bureau is doing almost nothing about it. At least that is the message I got from Boswell’s speech and I assume it is factual.

Competition control in Canada is a joke. Companies own dozens of brands that they sell to us under the impression that they are doing their best to charge us competitive prices. They are not. He gives an example of the $4 tomato. You can go to any store or chain and find that they all charge the same amount. There were three independent funeral homes in a town. A large company bought all three, retained the appearance of three independent businesses and sent prices through the roof in all three.

The fight in the Rogers empire is among Edward, his mother and his sisters over control of the company. It is high finance and even higher corporate wars for the management of the business. Edward uses his power to dismiss the President and CEO and appoint his man. His mother and sisters disapprove. He fires the directors that have removed him as chairman  and appoints his own people. He regains his position. This in fact was a courtroom fight and Edward is the Chairman of the Board now and appoints  his choice of President and CEO of Rogers.

The play and Rooney’s performance are a pleasure to watch. There is humour that Rooney brings out in a masterful fashion. He can change his speech pattern, do a double take, make an error and correct himself. He is funny. As Edward Rogers, he is also self-deprecating about seeking psychiatric help and about his siblings. He gave them two billion dollars each and that silenced them.

We witness a board meeting and see the members projected on the screen. They agree, disagree and fight over control of the company. Rooney sits at a table in front of the screen and we hear various arguments. A corporate fight for control inviting arcane financial consideration and market dynamics could be deadly. But Healy’s brilliant adaptation and Rooney’s stunning performance do not miss a beat.

The set by designer Joshua Quinlan consists of a large boardroom table with 8 chairs suitable for a board meeting. The stage is bathed in red and there is a projection screen behind it.

Master director Chris Abraham handles the complex and intricate play with the added problem of having a single actor playing all the parts with his usual astuteness and delicacy.
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Rogers v. Rogers  by Michael Healy based on Alexandra Posadzki’s  Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire will run until January 17, 2026, at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.  http://crowstheatre.com/

James Karas is the Senior Editor, Culture of The Greek Press. Torornto