Review - Miss Julie Freedom Summer at Canstage
Playwright Stephen Sachs brings a revamped Miss Julie to the stage
Feb 13, 2009
Caroline Cave is the tortured Miss Julie born into high society as the daughter of a wealthy local judge. It’s the fourth of July and she is frolicking with the servants in the fields without regard for her position as a member of the upper class. Drunk and disorderly, she heads into the farmhouse and sets out on a deadly course to seduce John, her father’s black chauffeur (Kevin Hanchard, Stratford Festival's Palmer Park), who is in love with Christine, the house servant (Raven Dauda, Obsidian Theatre's, Intimate Apparel,). Their scandalous act sets in motion a series of tragic events.
A Stellar Cast
Under Sachs' direction, the seasoned cast delivers a strong performance. Cave commands the stage as Miss Julie. At first she is a temptress in a red dress, demanding obedience from John. Later she’s a lost woman, a free spirit in a cage who needs direction. Cave is no stranger to emotionally demanding roles. She played 23 different roles in The Syringa Tree (Canstage) garnering a Dora Mavor Moore award for her performance.
Hanchard is convincing as the ambitious John ricocheting between the role of dutiful servant who loathes his position in life, to a confident, reckless man willing to do and say whatever it takes to gain his freedom.
Hanchard and Cave show great emotional range with the push and pull of power that takes place between John and Julie, who struggle to dominate the other and gain control over a disastrous situation.
Christine is the voice of reason. She accepts her station in life as a house servant, drawing on her Christian faith as a source of strength. Dauda has a good sense of comedic timing and a saucy tongue that relieves some of the pent up tension.
A Riveting Adaptation
The original play Miss Julie written by Swedish playwright August Strindberg in 1888 was banned in most of Europe for its frank portrayal of sexuality. It was the first play where the characters were driven by desire not love.Now with the added racial tension in Sachs' version, the stakes are raised to dizzying heights.
June of 1964 was the summer where African American voters were being organized to vote in Mississippi which up to that point had totally excluded black voters. Three, white civil rights activists had just been killed in that state. The level of danger was unmistakenly high for a black servant and white woman to engage in any kind of relationship. Sachs' choice to put these characters in that setting creates an intensely powerful play that’s definitely worth watching.
The play runs until March 7th. For tickets contact 416-368-3110. www.canstage.com
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