Curtains Up Winnipeg

A note for anglophones: there are subtitles available for free on tablets you can request at the door. In other words, there is no excuse for blaming language for not going to see this show. French language theatre is doing their best to make their work accessible across language boundaries. It’s up to you to take advantage of this. (I quietly step off my soap box)

Outside, a snow storm rages as Brandi’s family descends on her small apartment to celebrate the first birthday of her sister’s twins. Just another intimate family gathering where nothing could possibly ruin the good feelings… except for maybe long held grudges, fundamental disagreements about values, judgements yielded like weapons… and sandwiches. Don’t forget the sandwiches. Nobody else does. The importance of reproductive rights maybe, but not the sandwiches. Also, as things fall apart it is both incredibly funny and utterly absurd.

There is something universal about drama erupting at family events, and this show plays with this idea for all that it’s worth. One of the ongoing themes is the idea of the perpetual social pressure put on woman relating to how they use their uterus. Or don’t. As Brandi discovers, wanting to opt out of motherhood does absolutely nothing to stop the commentary. The piece asks big questions about women’s bodily autonomy and the way conversations about motherhood are framed. One of the most effective devices is the use of video scenes where a doctor asks standard questions; the framing of impersonal video screens with the warmth of the set helps draw attention to how the medical system routinely deprives women of dignity and autonomy. It encourages people to question the status quo and who exactly it serves.

From a structural perspective, this is a tight show. It takes you in to this world of people who love but also judge and can’t stop hurting each other. Everyone has moments of being at least a little bit despicable at some time or another, but no one is ever dismissed as a bad person who needs to be discarded. This is especially remarkable in the case of Brandi’s sister Marianne and brother in law Phil, a pair who it becomes clear have become disconnected through the process of parenting their twins. Kudos to the director for deciding to represent them with balloons. It works perfectly with the motif already written in to the play, and draws attention to the fragility of the humans parents are entrusted with. It also keeps the attention on the adult drama, something which is more or less impossible in any setting where a child exists. If you are someone who thinks parenthood should always be represented idealistically, this depiction may rub you the wrong way. On the other hand, it touches on some truths about how big life transitions can leave people lost and disoriented until they find their bearings.

It’s hard not to appreciate a show that talks about how important it is to love people who you disagree with. There is an interesting juxtaposition between the struggles Brandi has with the medical institutions and those she has with the judgement of her family members. Both enforce sanctions with the belief that they are doing so in her best interest, while also willfully ignoring what it is Brandi is telling them she wants.

On a personal note, this piece touches me because I am someone who is intimately impacted by female reproductive health. I remembered the queasy feeling I had the first time I was asked if I had ‘any big plans’ for birth control at age thirteen by a male doctor. So guess what? This conversation also includes you, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. If you have not faced the idea that uterus-having determines women’s health, that just means that you weren’t present for those talks, not that they weren’t happening.The show reminded of a friend who has been trying to get her tubes tied since her mid twenties, partially in response to medical issues, and in her late forties has yet to convince a doctor to do it. Apparently they feel it would be irresponsible to do it in case she finds a nice man, despite the fact she’s asexual and has no interest. These are the important conversations women have together all the time and most of us have become resigned to. It’s refreshing to hear these ideas out loud.

This is an important show that does the theatre side of things well enough that you are left really concentrating on the big issues the show presents. Everything is really solid and well produced, from the direction to the acting to the set. You’re left with a warm glow and a sense of radical politicization, one of my personal favourite conversations. Highly recommended.