A whackload of fun in a dark hole
U of M's Black Hole Theatre presents a bloody good show
Blood Relations questions whether Borden's actions are justified.
On a warm August day in 1892 in the sleepy town of Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden murdered both of her parents by killing them with an axe. The legend goes that she killed her mother with 40 whacks, and upon seeing what she had just done, gave her father 41. In a trial that may have served as foreshadowing for the O.J. Simpson case, Borden, hailing from one of the wealthiest families in town, was acquitted following a two-week court case.
For Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock, the Borden case and the elusive mystery surrounding it was more than just a classic American crime story. Her Governor General's Award-winning play, Blood Relations, prods deeper into Borden's character, examining the era and environment in which she lived. "[Borden] was a woman struggling for society to recognize her individuality," said Jim Hanwell, co-director of the Black Hole Theatre's presentation of Pollock's play. "The Victorian age in America was really not interested in hearing [her story]. So society has this preset role that they would like her to fill and she wants to be more than the sum of those parts. And she's struggling against that."
Initially shown to the university community in 1995, this is the second time that Blood Relations has been produced at the Black Hole. Hanwell noted that the play was initially brought to his attention during a theatre class, when a student presented a scene from it and it caught his eye as something different and something that hadn't been done in awhile. "On the surface, it's very simplistic and very straightforward but the more you look at it, the more you can take away from it."
Hanwell and co-director Christie Boettcher began casting for the play in September during auditions that were open to anyone in the university and community. Although Hanwell said that "We usually get around eight to ten weeks of rehearsal time. This mainstage is the least amount of time you get because you start right when school starts and you have to wait for this to get going before you can post for audition," he remarks that the biggest challenge that he and Boettcher face is scheduling. " You're working with so many people. We have a very talented cast, but [the problem is] getting everyone together - it's managing timetables."
Although Borden may be remembered as a cold-blooded killer, Hanwell hopes that audiences will examine the dark secrets of her family and her relationships, rather than just the crime itself. He noted, "You have to come into the play with the idea: are her actions justified?"
Performances of Blood Relations take place from Nov. 11 - 15 and 18 - 22 at 8 p.m. in the Black Hole Theatre in the basement of University College at the U of M's Fort Garry Campus. Tickets are $11 for adults and $9 for students and are available at each performance or by calling the box office at 474-6880.
- With files from Kelly Leschasin.