Review – Toronto the Good at Factory Theatre
Moodie's New Play Tackles Racial Profiling and Gun Violence
Toronto playwright Andrew Moodie's new play Toronto the Good opens with Thomas Matthews, a black man, heading to the grocery store on his bike to pick up some popcorn for a movie. He is stopped by the police and given a ticket for a missing bike light. Angry but remaining calm, he heads home to his white, francophone wife Almanda, and decides he would rather watch the movie and forget about the incident.
Fast forward to scene two, where it turns out Matthews is a middle-class crown attorney working his way up the ladder. His new client is a white female cop who is charged with racial profiling when she pulls over a young black man and later finds a gun in his possession. The white defense attorney, Simon Phillip, a staunch supporter of the poor, faces off with Matthews in a complex story that looks at racial profiling and gun violence from all angles.
Examining the Issues
No stone is left unturned when examining these explosive issues – From the political corruption in the police force to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s conservative government and its cuts on social programs to Jack Layton’s NDP minority who whine and complain about the issues of poverty without any power to do anything.
On a more individual note we are each called to task about our own prejudices we bring to the table. In one scene, Almanda, a high school teacher, is walking alone in the school hallway and sees a young black man dressed in baggy jeans and a hoodie walking behind her. She is instantly afraid, hoping he won’t hurt her, yet she is married to a black man and carries his child. In another scene, Thomas is confronted with his feelings towards his interracial relationship, and his own attitudes towards blacks living in poverty who haven’t been able to achieve the same level of success he has.
The actors in this play are outstanding under the direction of Philip Akin. Of particular note are Xuan Fraser (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Canstage) as Thomas Mathews, Stephanie Broschart (Dying to be Sick, Pleiades Theatre & National Arts Centre) as Almanda and Brian Marler (Shaw Festival's The Seagull). as Simon
A Call to Action
Moodie crafts a thoughtfully written play underscoring the complexity of the issues that face our city. While he doesn’t suggest any solutions, it is clear that all of us need to come together on a personal and political front for change to happen.
This isn’t the first piece that Moodie has written that was inspired by current events. His play Riot was inspired by the Yonge Street riot of 1992 and won the prestigious Chalmers Award for Best New Play. A socially conscious playwright, Moodie believes theatre can spark a dialogue that can become a catalyst for social change.
Says Moodie, “I want to start a dialogue, a real, substantive dialogue that can include citizens and policy makers. I don’t believe that theatre can change the world, but I believe that a play can create a conversation that resonates within a community, and that community can create change, if they choose to. If we choose to.”
Toronto the Good runs until March 1st, 2009 at Factory Theatre. For tickets, 416-504-9971.
Sandra Forsell and Xuan Fraser
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