August 2003 - Nr. 8
KW and Beyond
by Irena Syrokomla
Stratford Festival – Summer of 2003
It was at the beginning of May that I planned my summer activities and reviewed the Stratford program. Two plays tempted me in particular and here they are: one ancient Greek tragedy and one modern French drama.
"Agamemnon" by Aeschylus
at the Studio Theatre
Stratford is getting more ambitious and appealing to more and more sophisticated audiences. "Agamemnon" is part one of the trilogy of Oresteia and has been performed on world stages over the last 2,500 years. It still takes some preparation to comprehend and appreciate this play.
This is a classic family tragedy full of revenge, murders,
spells and curses. Uncle murders nephews and serves their flesh at the
feast, father sacrifices his daughter to the gods, wife murders her husband
in revenge and a Greek chorus elaborates in the background. The stage
setting is simple, the fronton of the Greek temple. The same basic stage
décor with
![Karen Robinson as Clytemnestra and Scott Wentworth as Aegistus [photo: Terry Manzo]](308c-IW_82.jpg)
some
variations is used for the following two dramas "Electra" and "The Flies"
with interesting modifications on a similar theme. The costumes are in
washed out linen materials and the only colour is provided in the dress of
the main character Clytemnestra. Karen Robinson, a very promising actress -
surprising in this classic role - acts this role. She is Black and speaks
with a broad Southern accent. Another memorable role of Cassandra is played
by Sara Topham, maybe too melodramatic at times, but this was her part in
history.
"Agamemnon" is a one-act drama without intermission, a full two hours and a bit long and heavy for an unprepared audience. But then it is advisable to be prepared for such a play; it is not your standard summer entertainment.
"No Exit" by Jean-Paul Sartre
In March 2002 I reviewed "No Exit" in this column as staged by a small Waterloo theatre. At that time I wished for a more complete professional production with more experienced actors. And we’ve got it.
It is so rare to see a modern French drama (written in 1944) performed in North America. This is a jewel of its time, a creation of a father of Existentialism. Sartre’s idea came initially from his experience of being stuck in the basement with strangers during war-time bombing, without possibility of exit, being stripped of superficialities of life and gradually ripping off layers of humanity, disclosing weaknesses and the past. In "No Exit" the idea of strangers being destined to coexist forever without a way out is taken further: they are all dead and placed in a bare place – hell - and it is for ever.
![Chick Reid as Inez Serrano, Andrew Massingham as the bellboy, Claire Julien as Estelle Delaunay and Stephen Ouimette as Vincent Cradeau [photo: Michael Cooper]](308c-IW_21.jpg)
They
turn out to be "not very nice people", each with a history of unflavoured
deeds, their past coming out gradually into the open. The famous quotations
"Hell is other people" and" The gaze of other people is not necessary
beneficial or benevolent" come to life in the monologues of Vincent, Inez
and Estelle played by Stephen Ouimette, Chick Reid and Claire Jullien. The
directing of Jim Warren is memorable, the sets and costumes reflect the
French era of the late 40’s and add to the atmosphere. The play is a one-act
performance lasting 1-½ hours and leaves you emotionally exhausted. However
it is very much worth seeing.
And it is only a short drive to Stratford.
