The Senior Times Online

Stifling the truth-tellers: Ibsen’s play still relevant
Byron Toben
In 1885, George Bernard Shaw, a then-failed 29 year old novelist, made the acquaintance of William Archer in the reading room of the British Museum. Archer, a prominent theatre critic, had also translated the controversial work of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Championed by Archer, Shaw became the most brilliant critic of music and drama in England.
Shaw was also a member of the Fabian society, dedicated to peaceful socialism. In 1890, the Fabians sponsored a series of lectures on “Socialism in Contemporary Literature.” Shaw chose Ibsen as his subject. On July 18, he delivered his presentation at St. James Restaurant. The packed house ’s reaction was overwhelming.
A year later, the Parnell case exploded; Charles Parnell, Irish leader in the House of Commons, was denounced on charges of marital dalliance. Shaw had defended Parnell and decided to expand his lecture into a book, The Quintessence of Ibsenism, about Ibsen’s portrayal of the hypocrisies of society. Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, which explored imprisoning marriages, resonated particularly with Shaw. Peter Hinton mounted this piece at the Segal Theatre last year in an excellent production. Hinton will speak at the Segal November 18 as a backgrounder to the Segal ’s opening of Arthur Miller’s version of Ibsen’s Enemy of the People.
After I appeared as a member of the mob in a Chicago production of Enemy of the People last year, it became one of my favorite Ibsen plays. Like A Doll’s House, it has lent itself to many settings over the years. Originally dealing with the cover-up of sewage pollution at an ocean-side resort spa, it has been transplanted to BC ’s forest industry, and back to modern Norway’s bottled water.
One line from the text remains embedded in my mind; the protagonist Dr. Stockmann, who discovers the pollution, is accused by the media, the business community and the townsfolk of being a misguided scaremonger. They query him as to how he knows the truth when no one else has discovered the same data. His response: “Before the many can know something, one must know it.” That line reverberates in the lives of truth-tellers throughout the centuries, be they Galileo or Darwin.
An Enemy of the People runs Nov. 18 to Dec. 9 at 5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine Rd. Info: 514-739-7944

Richard III opens Dawson’s New Theatre
“Now is the winter of our discontent,” pronounces the Duke of Gloucester in his dark intent to seize the crown of England from its from rightful heirs.
Directed by Winston Sutton, Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Richard III opens Dawson College’s New Theatre Wednesday, November 14. With his eye on England’s crown, the Duke will woo Lady Anne, denounce his brother George the Duke of Clarence, lay a trap for Lord Hastings, and use Lady Anne to hasten his coronation as Richard III. What better way to celebrate a new theatre space than by presenting a spectacular epic of greed, manipulation, and murder, whose production promises multi-media special effects.
Performances run Nov. 12 to 22 at 2000 Atwater. $10/general, $8/seniors & students. Call for showtimes. Info: 514 931-5000.

Hana’s Suitcase arrives at Geordie Productions

This Fall, Geordie Productions presents Hana’s Suitcase by Emil Sher. Based on the true story of Japanese children searching to find out about the life behind a lost piece of luggage, the play probes who Hana was and what happened to her and her family.
In March 2000, a suitcase was sent from Auschwitz to a Children’s Holocaust Resource Centre in Tokyo, Japan, for an exhibit. The suitcase had three things written on it to identify its owner: the word Waisenkind (orphan), a birth date, and a name — Hana Brady.
These three pieces of information piqued the curiosity of Fumiko Ishioka, the curator and teacher at the Centre, as well as the interest of two students, Maiko and Akira, who began looking into the identity of the child. The relentless search by Fumiko led her across Europe and North America until she learned the tragic fate of Hana and the amazing survival of her only brother, George, who lives in Toronto.
Geordie Productions invites you to meet George Brady on stage after the 4 pm presentation of Hana’s Suitcase on Sunday, November 25. Joined by his daughter, Lara Brady, George will share his experiences and answer questions from the audience.
Come for the show at 4 pm and stay, or just for the talk at 5:45 pm. A donation of $10 per person to Geordie ’s Bring Hana’s Suitcase to Montreal fundraising campaign is suggested, to defray the additional expenses of this event.
Performances take place at Concordia’s D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 de Maisonneuve W., November 22 to December 2. Info: 514 845-9810.

Barbara Lewis at Centaur
If you want to know how to survive a loss or realize purpose in life, attend the one-woman musical theatre production Crossroads, based on Barbara Lewis’ life lessons, and playing at Centaur until November 11.
A trained opera singer, Lewis originally co-wrote the show after 9/11 with her late husband, Nicholas Regush, ABC News producer and medical writer. After his sudden death, Lewis did not think she could sing again. But she found the strength to go on and write inspiring songs of renewal.
Barbara Lewis’ lessons in life are captured by songs performed in cabaret style. “The central theme is what happens when you find you’re not on the right path and you’re not a kid anymore. It’s about taking a risk at a time of life when you should be consolidating,” Lewis said.
Shows run Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8:30 pm. Sundays, 2:30 pm. $22/general. $18/ seniors & students. Info: 514 487-8779.