A National Arts Centre/urban ink (Vancouver) coproduction
Copper Thunderbird by Marie Clements
Directed by Peter Hinton
Dramaturgy by Paula DanckertSet and Costume Design by Mary Kerr
Lighting Design by John Webber
Sound Design by Noah Drew
Projection Design by Tim Matheson
Voice and Movement Coach: Nancy BenjaminStage Manager: Louise Currie
Assistant Stage Manager: Stéfanie Séguin
Apprentice Stage Manager: Richard Wilson
Independent Curator and Consultant: Crystal S. Parsons
Set Design Assistant: John ArmitageCast
The Old Man: Billy Merasty
The Boy: Herbie Barnes
Auntie: Margo Kane
Jack: Jonathan Fisher
The Young Man: Kevin Loring
The Dump Bears: Reneltta Bourque, Byron Chief-Moon, Paula-Jean Prudat
Harriet: Michelle St. John
Dr. Weinstein: Jonathan Fisher
The Three Normal Wives: Reneltta Bourque, Byron Chief-Moon, Paula-Jean Prudat
Picasso: Jonathan Fisher
The Californication Girls: Reneltta Bourque, Byron Chief-Moon, Paula-Jean Prudat
Kateri: Michelle St. JohnRunning time: 2 hours 14 minutes, plus 20 minute intermission.
Performance viewed: Matinee 2:04 pm May 26, 2007
Although this production had a few significant flaws, I was in tears at the end. I do not know how many other members of the audience reacted that way, but I believe my emotional state was primarily the product of design elements in the production, some of which I did not like – how’s that for a paradox? – assisted by performance and the script. And I must also thank Hinton for giving us another full-length play to savor, complete with an intermission for discussion; that is what an evening (or in this case, afternoon) of theatre is meant to be.
The printed program serves a necessary function for this production: it clarifies the situation and setting. The surrealistic script is not very clear on this point. The projected titles do tell us the time frame and the municipality in which the action occurs, although this information is not always very useful, as the sequence of events is somewhat arbitrary when the script folds time like temporal pingball, with jumps of decades in either direction quite commonplace.
The script tells us about the life of contemporary artist Norval Morriseau, (Copper Thunderbird) who was both a major pioneer artist of the past century, and a homeless street person drawing for booze and food. Morrisseau is an Ojibway (Anishnaabe) Indian whose paintings led the world to Indian art. His works are owned by major galleries and collectors, and therein, perhaps lies his problem: he wanted his work to teach the people and belong to the people; but it ended up becoming popular culture that seldom touched his people; and this was the frustration that devastated him. I wonder if the truly gifted are ever destined to be happy? Perhaps their gifts set them so far apart from the rest of humanity that they can never fit in.
My first impression of the play was disappointment: the set was huge, colourless, and showed its manufacture in stretch marks and wrinkles and unevenly cut pieces that seemed far beneath the NAC’s usual standards of set design and execution. The pervasive pale teal was unemotional. In effect, it came off as a huge area of forced, unappealing design that the actors had to fill with little in the way of physical props. I have to admit that in some ways it grew on me, and eventually set up the emotional dynamics of the ending to which I have already referred; however, I propose that the same effect could have been achieved with more affective use of colours from the beginning. I understand that the point was to focus on and provide a neutral background for Morrisseau’s art, and to suggest the institutional environment in which he came to live; however, his work can stand well no matter what the background, and when his work was not in evidence or palely or fuzzily projected, the set really looked shabby. The lighting did not change that; in fact, there were many instances in which I questioned the lighting design that left actors in flat dark neutrality, illuminated only by ambient light from no particular direction. The other early disappointment was the acting: Merasty seemed clumsy initially, hardly able to deliver lines professionally. But I think that may have been more the disorienting effect of the script, for I soon realized that Merasty was able to deliver lines with timing and effect, and shift depiction to match the demands of the scene.
The trap door under the bed served many interesting entrance and exit functions, as did the once-utilized sandbox. But these were mainly tricks, and served little plot or story function.
What did work amazingly well in this production were acting and costumes.
Kerr’s use of vinyl for costumes was inspired, particularly Auntie’s amazing red white and black uniforms, each more bizarre than the last. The whole effect was witty and satirical, beautifully balancing the grim drama with eccentric humor. The Californicators’ costumes and makeup were hilarious. The effect of humor in any play is usually significant. Often difficult to achieve effectively, humor is generally the way to an audience’s emotions. This is true in tragedy as well as comedy. In this drama, humor is especially significant, because, if you are going to depict Indians accurately, you have to show their sense of humor. It would not surprise me to learn that some early battles between settlers and Indians were caused by the settlers’ inability to get the Indian’s sense of humor. I can remember early days at a new high school to which Indians from the local Rez were being bused for the first time. A serious fight broke out one day when an Indian boy suggested a certain white boy might profitably visit the Rez for a haircut.
The three actors depicting Morrisseau, usually simultaneously, all gave significantly distinguishable impressions of the man. Merasty’s old man was funny and pathetic, prudish and at times powerful in his wisdom or anguish. Loring’s young man was at once passionate, vulgar and aggressive, while Barnes’ little boy was creative, inquisitive, sympathetic and innocent. As well, Barnes’ athleticism gave the whole play grace and energy. Of course the lines gave the actors the means to get there, but the actors made it happen, whether they were working in unison or separately. St. John was another impressive individual performer whose relationship to younger Morrissy was clear, visceral and striking.
The effect of the final parade of costumes, based on Morrisseau’s unique designs, was powerful, and clearly made the statement that the man is a genius; and this genius layered over the man’s life opened up the pathos and beauty all in one terrifying montage. There was something about the movement of the models and the incredible strength of the designs and colors that worked on top of the drama implied by the script and what we all know about life on and off the Rez for Indians, and on top of the stark ugliness of the nursing home set itself, that made the final pageant incredibly moving.
And this is what underlies the disintegration of much Native life in Canada, in North America: a mythology that is stark and beautiful, haunting and fading as the continent is paved over. Hinton has made more than a play of this production: it is also a tribute to Morrisseau, with books and artifacts on display in the lobby, and for sale. The play feels as if it is part of a movement; maybe that is as should be.
