The Watershed, a World
First Among All Plays

Documentary play’s author doubles as lead character

By Byron Toben

Inquisitor: Joan, are you in a state of Grace?
Joan Of Arc: If I am, may God keep me in it. If I am not, may God lead me to it.

Saint Joan by G. Bernard Shaw

This dialog, and much of the trial scene, is verbatim from the actual court records leading to Joan’s burning and eventual sainthood.

I preface this review of The Watershed not to suggest that Joan could have used a timely downpour of rain, but as an example of how quotes from actual people create a transcending authenticity that bolsters an Issue play… there Church vs. State and here, in The Watershed, Environment vs. Short Term Profit.

Playwright Annabel Soutar is famous as a practioner of documentary theatre. This is a genre going back to some Greek plays and more recently, 1930s Germany with Piscator and Brecht, as well as today’s Anna Deavere Smith. Ms. Soutar’s efforts have included Sexy Beton (about the collapse of a Laval overpass) and the much-honoured Seeds (GMO Monsanto vs. a lone farmer).

The Watershed WestmountMag.ca

The Watershed takes on the former Canadian government’s abandonment of a longstanding research support of the unique Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario. Ms. Soutar’s quest to understand what led to this and the muzzling of government scientists culminated in a two month long drive across Canada with her husband (actor Alex Ivanovici) and their two children, Ella and Beatrice, from Lac Brome, Quebec to Fort McMurray, Alberta. There they view the tar sands (oil sands to proponents) that threaten to pollute Canadian waterways.

On this odyssey, they interview tons of persons, many famous. Over all, only Liisa Repo-Martell plays one character only – that of Ms Soutar. Amelia Sargisson plays daughter Ella and one other character. The other six actors in this amazing ensemble take on 49 roles that create a lot of frenetic work for stage manager Merissa Tordjman.

Cameo portrayals include such famous politicians as Rob Ford, Justin Trudeau (Daniel Brochu), Tom Mulcair (Laura Condlln) and Stephen Harper (Bruce Dinsmore). TV and Radio personalities like Carol Off and Jian Ghomeshi are invoked and even the play’s excellent director (who also directed Seeds) Chris Abraham (Ngozi Paul). Of Course, Council of Canadians chair and UN water expert Maude Barlow (Tanya Jacobs) gets some key wordage.

Revered Canadian actor Eric Peterson shone as Annabel’s father.

The Watershed WestmountMag.ca

Mr Brochu stepped into his roles, including that of Alex, on relatively short notice due to Mr Ivanovici’s foot injury. Ms Paul not only enacted daughter Beatrice but donned a beard to become Mr Abraham as well. All of this with fast pacing and great digital screen background, not to mention an invisible dog and a visible SUV.

Amidst all the interviews, factals and revelations, the human element and family strains and strengths are revealed. Ms Soutar’s goal of opening up the eyes of youth (here 8 and 10 years) is admirably achieved.

What makes this play a first in theatre, let alone in documentary theatre, is it seems to be the only script I could think of in which the author is also the lead character, let alone her whole family. At the opening night reception, three other fine critics could not think of such an example. I finally asked Ms Soutar herself and she could not conjure up another example (she did proffer Spaulding Gray, but he basically just recited his books onstage). The only thing close, I offer, are the collected plays of Mr. Shaw of whom several academics have concluded that ALL of his characters are really himself, wearing many hats in his theatre of ideas.

I urge readers to nominate another selection to replace Ms Soutar as the first as aforesaid. (Winner gets a Guinness at Hurleys.)

The Watershed continues at the Centaur until December 8.
Information and tickets at 514 288-3161 or centaurtheatre.com