Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts I, II, III)

Lisa Berry and Daren A. Herbert in Father Comes Home From The Wars. Photo credit: Cylla von Tiedemann.

Suzan-Lori Parks reimagines Homer's epic Odyssey and sets it against the American Civil War in Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts I, II,III), now on stage at the Young Centre in a new production directed by Weyni Mengesha (Kim's Convenience). Performed together as one evening, these three parts are the first of a projected nine-play cycle that will examine America's ongoing and turbulent relationship with race.

Part I, A Measure of a Man, opens in 1862 on a plantation in Texas. We meet a Chorus of Undesirable Slaves (Akosua Amo-Adem, Peter Fernandes, Roy Lewis, Marcel Stewart) as they place bets on whether the protagonist Hero (Dion Johnstone) will follow his Confederate master into war. Hero is torn between his surrogate father, Oldest Old Man (Walter Borden), who wants him to go, and his beloved Penny (Lisa Berry) who longs for him to remain with her. He is also influenced by Homer (Daren A. Herbert), a fellow slave with whom he has a complicated relationship. But Hero is ultimately swayed by his master's promise of freedom in exchange for service, and the opportunity to make a name for himself, even if it means fighting for the wrong side of the cause.

Part II, A Battle in the Wilderness, follows Hero into war. While the battle rages around them, Hero and his master, a Colonel in the rebel army (Oliver Dennis) watch over a Yankee prisoner, Smith (Gregory Prest) who has been left behind by his unit. A conversation about Hero's worth, and the value of slaves, takes a surprising turn as Hero gets talking to Smith, and it turns out his relationship with the Colonel is not as straightforward as we may have thought.

Part III, The Union of My Confederate Parts is set back on the plantation in Texas where the group awaits news of Hero's return. The chorus is now a group of runaways who will attempt to flee when darkness falls. A messenger arrives in the form of Hero's dog, Odyssey (played by a most amusing Fernandes), to tell of his master's fate. When Hero finally arrives home, no one, especially Penny, can believe the stories he brings back with him.

Parks' brilliant script pays homage to Greek tragedy while flipping the traditional narrative on its head. The play explores themes of redemption, loyalty and identity but challenges us to reconsider any preconceived notions we may have had coming in.

Mengesha's production is beautifully executed throughout. Each act is simply yet impactfully staged featuring soulful music by Divine Brown during transitions and strong performances, both comedic and tragic, across the board. At a time when so much injustice still exists in the world, this moving, must-see work offers an important contribution to the discussion. 

Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts I, II,III) runs until August 27 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Visit soulpepper.ca for more information and to buy tickets.