SummerWorks 2012: Dutchman
Tolerance takes a backseat in lemonTree creations’ uniquely staged production
Presented by lemonTree theatre creations
Written by Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)
Directed by Sabryn Rock
Sascha Cole and Peyson Rock in Dutchman. Photo by Brian Telzerow.
Racism comes in the shape of a femme fatale in Amiri Baraka’s 1964 play Dutchman, the latest production by Toronto-based lemonTree creations, now playing as part of the 2012 SummerWorks Performance Festival. Performed in an old bus parked at 15A Ossington Avenue, this emotional rollercoaster of a show explores a shocking encounter between an unassuming young black man, Clay (the charismatic Peyson Rock), and an alluring white seductress (a beguiling Sascha Cole).
Audience members become part of the story as the bus driver calls out stops, transporting us back in time where we are made uncomfortable by our proximity to the action, and by the fact that those at the front of the bus have to strain to see the actors (thankfully, the acting is solid). Director Sabryn Rock gets committed performances out of both leads, and Baraka’s fiercely rhetorical script makes for a powerful theatre experience.
Dutchman is a creative and challenging production that forces us to confront issues that still exist today. It’s worth getting on board for.
Catch the last performances of Dutchman on Thursday Aug 16 at 3pm and 9pm, and Friday Aug 17 at 3pm and 11pm. Visit SummerWorks.ca for more information and to buy tickets.
Show Dates:
Wed, 2012-08-15 - Fri, 2012-08-17 You may also like
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