How a raw play can shine light on our deepest truths
On Nov. 8, I attended U of G’s Mainstage dress rehearsal at the George Luscombe Theatre for Lion in the Streets. Actors were warming up; departments were getting ready; and at the centre of it all was writer, director, and U of G Prof. Judith Thompson, guiding everything into place. The show was ready to go.
The play is about a murdered nine-year-old child named Isobel, who is played by Alexa Vermy, a third year theatre studies major and creative writing minor at U of G. Vermy, who identifies as non-binary, worked with Thompson to edit the role of Isobel to be non-binary as well. Isobel returns to the world 17 years after their murder in search of their killer. In their purgatory-like state, Isobel witnesses the pain and suffering of other people’s lives, told in a series of interlocking scenes.
From the opening scene I was hooked. It was like a dream (or nightmare) that was so interesting to watch that you didn’t want to look away. It’s true that this play is dark, but it’s also filled with grace and humour. It’s like a beautiful painting drawn with blood.
The actors embodied their character’s pain and suffering. I often felt overcome by the honesty of it all, as if our deepest human struggles were being shown back to us, such as confronting violence, handling grief, questioning one’s sexuality, and being a victim of rape. It was at times both disturbing and inspiring. This was a young cast bravely tapping into their primal emotions.
Vermy brilliantly captured the character’s childlike wonder, sensitivity, and innocence. Throughout it all, Isobel is an invisible source of light in each character’s fractured life. As an audience member, I felt like I was seeing things through Isobel’s eyes. It was a powerful effect that made me believe that goodness could prevail over wickedness.
The set, designed by award-winning set designer Troy Hourie, was dreamlike. There were stairs that appeared to be floating, there was a pole-like structure with a mobile of birds on top, and the set glowed red and blue from special paint when illuminated under a blacklight. It was a surreal world that the characters (and audience) were forced to confront.
There’s an uneasiness about the play that some people might not enjoy, but if life was always safe and comfortable, how would we grow as people? There are deep truths in this play that we need to feel from time to time.
Lion in the Streets plays at the George Luscombe Theatre from Nov. 10 to 18.
Story & photos by Adam Maue