Black hole theatre opener will season the body and soul

William O'Donnell, staff

The first main-stage production from the Black Hole Theatre Company is upon us. John Guare’s Landscape of the Body, as directed by and starring Jennette Heinrichs is that production. The playwright, Guare, is renowned for his work with dark comedy (the overlapping theme for this year’s BHTC season). The story focuses on a celebrity-obsessed mother whose neglected son becomes decapitated.

The story may not seem very light-hearted, but many out there might all be reassured to know that this show contains six musical numbers. In an interview with Heinrichs, I was also promised some of said numbers to include “sexy strip-tease dancing” and others to be “straight-up musical . . . and each has a slightly different tone.”

Not that this show needs to resort to cheap thrills in order to gain an audience. There is a great hype about this show already stirring on campus, especially amongst the performers themselves. John Titley, one of those very performers, gushed about how he “fell in love with the script right away,” which convinced him to audition — something he had no intention of doing. “Personally, I think [the show] looks great. But with this script, anyone would look good, no matter who was on stage. It’s that good.” Heinrichs agreed with this statement on the basis of “the inherent entertainment value” of the text. “Landscape of the Body could still be entertaining if it was a straight read.”

With this in mind, Heinrichs also found a way of disagreeing with Titley’s bold remark. She went on to talk about the great demands this play has on the casting choices and how “Guare puts forward challenging language and style demands as well. . . . The actors require several things — the ability to perform both comedy and drama, in some characters cases, they must also sing and dance.”

That said, Heinrichs is very proud of the cast she has. “My cast is insanely wonderful and their dedication to this project has certainly paid off,” Heinrichs proclaims in her ever-genuine and refreshingly bright demeanour.

Many major changes occurred during the show’s rehearsal time. “Every week,” Heinrichs assures me “some of it by design and some of it by chance.” Probably most notable of these changes was Heinrichs taking over the lead role while still holding the position of director. “I'd never plan to act and direct in the same show . . . but all the same, this is the best role I've ever performed in, with the best cast.” She then went on to tell me a couple of times how much she has been unexpectedly “loving” being inside the show.

By the sounds of it, Landscape of the Body is turning out to be a must-see opener to our theatre’s season. “It’s a roller coaster ride: once you're strapped in, there's no going back and it will take you anywhere, everywhere it’s designed to go,” Heinrichs details, “Scene to scene and even within the scene, within the monologues, [Guare] keeps the play and characters turning towards the unexpected.”

For a sexy and funny experience, come to Landscape of the Body as it plays Nov.13-17, then again from the Nov. 20-24 at the Black Hole Theatre (located on the bottom floor of University College).