Goodness: Spark Festival 2012 at the Belfry Theatre (Victoria, BC) – Guest review by @JanniAragon
If you’re looking for a play that is pure enjoyment and isn’t going to make you think, then don’t see Michael Redhill’s “Goodness.” Ross Manson directed this more than two hour play at the Belfry March 13-18 will take you on a journey about identity and redemption. The six actors, stark set, and lighting offers a provocative examination into Paul Braunstein, played by Michael Redhill, attempts to find himself after his wife has left him for his best-friend, Colin. Per his therapist’s suggestion, he decides to go on vacation. Does he choose Bermuda or Hawaii? No, he opts for a trip to Poland to the village where his Grandparents and seven of their children were slaughtered during the Holocaust. His hope is to find out more about his family and thereby about himself.
This isn’t Eat, Pray, and Find Myself. The trip to Poland is for naught and leaves disappointed and later finds himself in a London bar seated by an old codger who mocks him and inspires him to look up an old friend of his across the street. I didn’t want to laugh when he said that Holocausts are popular, but I do think that I gasped. He’s right–they are common. The codger, played by J.D. Nicholson does such a good job of goading Paul. He reminded me that we have witnessed many genocides covered on the news or at the very least ignored due to it messiness. But Paul is curious and crosses the street and meets with Althea, played by Lili Francks, and the play makes a turn into the tragic–where Paul hears about more genocide. Althea was a prison guard and is a survivor. As they chate, we get a peek into: Why good people rush to make evil. Althea is survivor of the purges and there have been so many during the last 100 years–Google the purges and pick one of your choice. However, the one she speaks of is most likely the purges in Rwanda.
The play asks the viewers to think about who owns an atrocity and who has the right to tell the story? These are complicated questions and the six actors and stage as an additional actor offer ample opportunity for introspection. I found that at times the lighting was haunting, as it made me think about how powerful hate is and what it does to people. Will you choose to be a witness to genocide? What would you do? I was not surprised to see that a few couples did not return after the intermission. It is a Wednesday night and the play is making you think about tough subjects. I left completely awake and sit here thinking about genocide.
This guest review was provided by Dr. Janni Aragon from the University of Victoria Department of Political Science exclusively for Hummingbird604.com. You can follow her on Twitter (@JanniAragon) and on her blog. Thanks so much for helping me provide coverage to the SPARK Festival 2012!
