There's lots of timely and much-needed social commentary happening at two theatrical productions currently playing here in Prince George. We're talking modern psychology, political refences, historical perspectives, Freudian themes, ethical quandaries, social upheavals and more. If you want the best of both the performance arts and intelligentsia, then don't look any further than Theatre NorthWest and the PG Playhouse over the next couple of weeks.
I'm talking about Hedda Noir and Cabaret.
I love both works. But for very different reasons. It could be that I'm a bit of a history buff and both pieces represent historical periods of tremendous interest to me.
The first, Hedda, comes from the late 19th "fin-de-siècle" period. Every Western artform from this timeframe - music, theatre, art - was intensely dramatic, often dark, and always larger than life. We're talking the post-Napoleonic, rise of Kaiser Wilhelm, philosophy of Nietzsche culture that enveloped a world becoming unstable to the point of global war.
The story behind Cabaret is from a couple of decades later - the Weimar Republic, and almost perfectly answers the thematic tone of Hedda. The 1920's and 30's saw one of the most traumatic shifts ever in a society. This period saw the complete loss of a moral compass, and in its vacuum, the rise of ultra nationalism and extreme fascist theology. The Weimar Republic could be considered the official handbook for how a society can self-destruct on every single level. Yet throughout that period, some of the most wonderful artistic movements ever occurred, in music, art and writing. Musically, I think of Kurt Weill, Arnold Schonberg and Richard Strauss - all favourites of mine. The author Christopher Isherwood's novels meant so much to me when I was a young adult. His work "Goodbye to Berlin" formed the basis of the play which eventually became the musical Cabaret.
I had the chance to hang out with Judy Russell at a Cabaret rehearsal last week. I couldn't help but be curious as to why she decided to bring back Cabaret right now. I have heard repeatedly that her last staging of Cabaret was amongst the best work she has ever done. One person whose opinion I trust said it was better than a New York version they had seen.
So, I asked Judy "why now?". Judy told me she couldn't not do it now, that this was a way of understanding and processing the political upheaval, the rise of racism and nationalist, and the style of political leadership happening south of the border. She also couldn't hide her enthusiasm for the cast she's assembled. "They are my dream team", she said. Rehearsal was rocking right along as she said it, and I couldn't help but agree.
But back to Hedda, and again I can't say enough times how fortunate we are that Jack Grinhaus is staging this theatrical masterpiece for us. It's really and truly high art for the stage. I understand from the initial script reading that to affect some of the Freudian themes of neurosis, paranoia that are explored, that the stage design will be drawing from the Expressionist period. I am giddy about this because I love the Expressionist movement - in music, art, movies - it's all just great. I still get goosebumps when I remember the first time I saw Alban Berg's expressionist operatic classic "Wozzeck" when I was a teenager. It changed my outlook on life for sure.
It's also intriguing that Jack's version of Hedda has a Canadian setting. Migrating late 19th century Norwegian society to mid-20th century South-West Ontario will certainly help make the play resonate for us.
I am giving both shows my very personalized endorsement in advance. We have two very different productions - both classics and masterpieces in their own right - that demand our attention and attendance. One is entertainment bar none, the other is one of the most nuanced and intelligent pieces of dramatic arts ever written.
Hedda Noir runs till March 4th. Tickets are available at Books and Co and at theatrenorthwest.com
Cabaret runs till February 24th. Tickets are available at Central Interior tickets and at centralinteriortickets.com.
