Theatre Review by Christina Manolescu</MARQUEE>
As immortalized by the ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter, this modernist tale of a hard-up, working class family speaks of certain dark places where parents, although agonizing, may not follow their children.
Having reached her forties, for a long list of valid and futile reasons, Jessie has decided she simply won’t make the effort to go on any more: time for her to ‘step off the bus,’ as she puts it. Her calm, even-handed decision to warn her mother, Thelma, of her intentions ahead of time becomes the tinderbox that sparks the ensuing drama.
It provokes a tense, fearful tug-of-war between opposing forces: the determination to preserve life at all costs versus its deliberate dispassionate inverse. The dialectic is compelling; it comes across in both actors’ naturalistic performances and the script’s hyper-realistic vernacular, sprinkled with graveyard humour—revealing a last-ditch effort by Thelma to gain precious time, stave off the threat and thwart the terror.
It also establishes the natural love between the two women, expressed by Jessie in her bizarre logic of concern for Thelma’s future well-being, after her own passing. As for Thelma, she tries every imaginable whim and wile to dissuade her daughter from carrying out this ‘sick joke’ or patently lunatic act.
All theatre productions have their challenges, but the staging of ‘night, Mother must have exacted a great deal of fortitude all around. Gripping and chilling, infused by an ongoing premonition of dread and macabre spectator fascination, this drama was originally penned 25 years ago by playwright, Marsha Norman, and is currently being directed at the Mainline stage by Jessie Corbeil.
It purposefully examines an ‘untouchable’ subject, one traditionally relegated to secrecy and denial, involving as it does humanity’s final taboo: a person’s willed and self-orchestrated suicide.
Prepare yourself for a gut-wrenching experience. ‘night, Mother plays at Mainline Theatre until March 30.
Theatre Review by Christina Manolescu © 2008 Invisible Cities Network
Montreal, February 2008- Altera Vitae is proud to present their inaugural production, ‘night, Mother, the 1983 Pulitzer Prize winner by Marsha Norman, playing at Mainline Theatre from March 19 to 30. This new Montreal company aims to produce works of theatre that engage and service the community. With each new production, Altera Vitae will partner itself with a charitable organization whose mandate is similar to themes in the play and pledge a donation from the production’s profits as well as assist the organization in their public awareness strategies. For ‘night, Mother, Altera Vitae supports FSOS (Family Survivors of Suicide). Says Altera Vitae artistic director Carolyn-Fe Trinidad, “We hope to spread the word about this valuable organization through our production.”
‘night, Mother follows Jessie as she prepares to die, wrapping up her affairs as she tutors her mother in survival. The play, with its realistic dialogue, is a heart-wrenching look at the ‘could-have-beens’ and ‘if-onlys’ that get in the way when what one should be doing most is listening. While many productions of ‘night, Mother have centred on Jessie, Altera Vitae focuses on Mama's turmoil. With Quebec’s present suicide rate one of the top five in the world, the play remains topical.
Director Jesse Corbeil explains his take on the story, “At the centre of the play, there's a real sense of disconnection, like what happens when we don't really hear one another because we're too busy pretending to listen.” He continues, “It’s hard to reach out to someone who's not doing so well, often because we haven't even noticed that there's a problem.” Corbeil wants to stress however that they have succeeded in keeping the production from being depressing, with both characters offering something hopeful in hopelessness.
Rounding out the team is set and lighting designer Audrey-Anne Bouchard, sound designer Dan Legault and stage manager Mindy Sirois. Audiences will enjoy an original soundtrack composed specifically for this production by local bands Daniel Iorio, DD Swank and Dush. Along with an FSOS charity night on March 25, the original soundtrack CD will be on sale at every performance, with half of the proceeds donated to FSOS.
‘night, Mother will be done in ‘real-time’. With that in mind, doors will open at 7:30 with the show starting at 7:55pm.
“Mama, you don’t pack your garbage when you move.” - Jessie
Jesse spent two seasons directing short plays for the Montreal School of Performing Arts’ Express O Theatre summer theatre programme. He joined 6th Avenue Players, where he directed Craig Pospisil’s It’s Not You, David Ives’ Arabian Nights, Madeleine George’s The Most Massive Woman Wins and Caitlyn Murphy’s Brazen. Jesse holds a degree in Communications with a specialisation in film production from Concordia University and has just finished writing a short film project, which he will be looking to cast, crew and shoot later this year. Jesse has also worked as a dresser and costume tech on the Montreal West Operatic Society’s production of The Sorcerer and stage-managed The Pirates of Penzance, wherein half the cast of 48 had swords, the other half had hoop skirts — and nobody lost an eye. You can read more about Jesse at jessecorbeil.ca.
Alexandra studied theater at Dawson College's professional theater program. She has appeared in numerous stage and film productions including Titania in Midsummer Night's Dream, Macduff in Macbeth, Narrator in Rocky Horror, Ginger in Gilligan's Island, Helena in The Tragedy of Man, Mrs Ravenscroft in Ravenscroft and is very proud to have been a part of To the Green Fields Beyond winner of the Best Ensemble Mecca Award. As part of Dum Blond Productions she's co-written and co-produced Sex and La Cite part 1&2 with Paula Davis where she's had a fabulous time portraying the infamous Samantha Jones. Alexandra was last seen in Saving Celine.
Sandy studied theatre and dance in Montreal for many years and has performed in Montreal, Toronto and Hudson. She has acted, choreographed, danced and sung with the Hudson and Lakeshore Players’ Clubs, the Hudson Music Club and the Hudson Village Theatre Pantomime Productions in Broadway Encore, Anne of Green Gables, The King and I, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Wizard of Oz, and Hello Dolly. Sandy enjoyed being Number 11 in Twelve Angry Jurors, Mona in Queen Milli of Galt, Louella in What Kind of a Life is That?, and above all, Truvy in Steel Magnolias.
Marsha Norman was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Hull-Warriner and Drama Desk Awards for 'Night Mother, which received its world premiere at the American Repertory Theatre in 1982. Ms Norman won the 1992 Tony Award and Drama Desk awards for The Secret Garden; and the John Gassner Medallion, Newsday Oppenheimer award and the American Theatre Critics Association Citation for Getting Out. Other plays include Third and Oak, The Laundromat, The Poolhall, The Holdup, Traveler in the Dark, Sarah and Abraham, Loving Daniel Boone, and Trudy Blue. Published work includes Four Plays and a novel, The Fortune Teller. Television and film credits include Face of a Stranger, starring Gena Rowlands and Tyne Daley. Since 1994 she has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School.