Ah, the world of theatre. It's an art I can appreciate thanks to Broadway classics and its legends like Fred Astaire and Liza Minnelli. Maybe my interpretation of the theatre is somewhat glamourized, but nonetheless, I do enjoy a good show.
Before my CreComm days, I've thoroughly enjoyed Broadway renditions of Chicago, Grease and lower budget plays, all of which were full of wit and perfect theatrical timing.
On the flip side, the plays that were mandatory to attend in high school, my experiences were shall we say......less Frank Sinatra and more Britney Spears. In English: they fell flat.
Keeping that in mind, I was not sure what to expect when I attended a play with my classmates this past Wednesday. Would it be dry? Dull? A bizarre "artsy-performance" piece? An awkward musical?Maybe I'd be blown away with a masterpiece? I had no clue.
Well, it wasn't dull.
The play attended was called Proud by Michael Healy, a satirical four actor play set in Parliament circa 2011 after Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party win the federal election. The website for the play describes the show as "a biting political satire" and "humorous and clever". Right. I beg to differ.
Before I start passing judgment, I will give credit to the actors. Ross McMillan did an impeccable performance as Stephen Harper, right down to that silver haircut and robotic posture. Eric Blais and Kevin P. Gabel were terrific supporting roles as Cary Baines and Jake. It's hard not to feel biased towards Daria Puttaert because her character Jisbella Lyth was way over the top, way over-sexed, and just way too extra. But, all in all, she acted her part really well.
Okay. Now, the play. First things first, this play could've been a perfect satirical comedy IF it stuck with political jokes, which there was tons of opportunity for. Instead, they took the cliche route by over-sexualizing the female lead, and overused swear words (fuck was every second word), all for some cheap laughs.
Also, it was extremely difficult to get past how unrealistic the play was. Now I know, I know it was satire. But really, do you think a brand new female MP would barge into the newly appointed prime minister's office screaming "do you have a condom?!" in regards to sleeping with a random guy from the press. Oh, and would Stephen Harper address all his MP's telling them "they can go to him for any of their problems?" What is this, Dr. Phil?
The story was supposed to portray the Prime Minister using the density of Jisbella to his advantage to distract the press from his agenda. It just ended up being a bunch of sexual innuendoes, with Jisbella seducing Stephen Harper and Cary Baines.
However, there were some good parts, but they didn't happen until half way through the show. The turning point happened when Stephen Harper was listing off what he didn't care about in Parliament, and why he became prime minister over drinks with Jisbella. But, even that fell flat after awhile because his spiel just dragged on.
Overall, the play was not boring, but did not live up to its "humorous and clever" description. Where the good political jabs should've fit in, it was overshadowed by Jisbella's obnoxious and loud demeanour. When using sexuality and curse words, it needs to be subtle to make it work, not overbearing and distracting.
It was after the play, where some good points were made, raising the question does the government take advantage of the media. Considering how the main focal point was Jisbella as a ploy for the media, it's a good question to ponder.
Sincerely,
Ingrid
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