THEATRE REVIEW

FEBRUARY 2025 | Volume 248

 

Frances Koncan’s satirical look at Louis Riel, the Métis rebellion, Thomas Scott and more begins with a bang. Three women—an Anglo white settler named Cecilia (Kate Besworth) and two Métis, Marie-Angelique (Kaitlyn Yott) and Eugenia (Danica Charlie)—sit in a fort, sometime in the late 19th century, somewhere “on the shores of a Reddish river,” and talk. In Donna Spencer’s Firehall production, assistant directed by Cheri Maracle, they are hilarious.

In a rapid-fire identify-the-quotation contest they one-up each other in distinctly 21st century language. And though they revert at times to proper 19th century speech patterns, especially ultra-traditional Cecilia, Koncan’s dialogue continually reminds us that we’re viewing the events of that time from this time: “I’m unfriending you.” “I am like the Scarlet O’Hara of the prairies.” Louis Riel is “hot”; Sir John A. MacDonald “the least hot man on the planet.”

They are also viewing those events from a distinctly genderedsatirical perspective. The women are, mysteriously, confined to this room in that fort, able to observe but ultimately unable to participate in these momentous historical events. Cecilia feels solidarity with her Métis roommates but worries about her offstage husband, allied with the government forces. Marie-Angelique is obsessed with Louis Riel and his sexy moustache. Strong, mostly silent Eugenia, the most political of the three, comically curses Sir John A. under her breath.

Late in the first act we get to meet Riel (Wayne Lavallee) and Thomas Scott (Evan Rein). Historically, white Protestant Scott’s execution by Riel’s forces gave MacDonald’s government an excuse to crush the Métis. Here, Scott and Riel are buddies, until they’re not. Riel isn’t as eccentric as he’s shown to be in other theatrical portraits, but his heroism is largely undercut by his narcissism. More importantly, the male characters are not half as interesting as the women.Every time the plot switches over to them the production sags.

Yott’s Marie-Angelique generates much of the play’s energy with her delightfully boisterous fan-girl enthusiasm for Riel, and Charlie’s solid, more sober Eugenia anchors the women’s political perspective. Besworth, maybe the best actor in Vancouver right now, offers a beautifully detailed Cecilia struggling to navigate the shoals of friendship, ethnicity and marital loyaltywith perfectly ladylike colonial poise. 

Emily Friesen has designed striking costumes for the women, and Kimira Reddy’s simple, functional set has some nice touches, including a mailbox that drops down from the flies at regular intervals and, along with photos of Riel, Gabriel Dumont, Scott and others, a photo of that great Canadian Keanu Reeves.

Although this script has been around for a while and had multiple productions, the central section could use some major edits. After the opening twenty minutes or so there is a good deal of marking time and going over the same territory. But the serious ending is as strong as the comic opening. And the women endure.

The Firehall has gotten such good responses to this show that they will be holding it over for an additional week, Feb. 26-Mar. 2:

Feb. 26 at 1pm & 7:30pm
Feb. 27 at 7:30pm
Feb. 28 at 7:30pm
March 1 at 3pm & 7:30pm
Match 2 at 3pm

 

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