By Loren Plottel
UBC CNRS Prof C.W. Marshall directed the world premiere of The Misanthrope, playing at the Jericho Arts Centre June 4-27, 2010.
The play was written by Tony Harrison, an award-winning English poet and playwright, who was a Green College Visiting Scholar in 2009. Best known for his controversial works like the poem ‘V’ and Fram, as well as his versions of ancient Greek tragedies like the Oresteia and Hecuba, Harrison’s poems and translations show a powerful command of rhyme and expert adaptation of colloquial speech.
Initially commissioned for actor Kevin Spacey and the Old Vic Theatre in London, the production was put aside when the director died unexpectedly.
Rewritten in 2006, Tony Harrison has allowed it to be performed first in Vancouver.
“To have the privilege of presenting this modern adaptation of The Misanthrope for the very first time in the world is an enormous honour,” said UBC professor and United Players director, Toph Marshall. “We have a stellar cast and crew and I am thrilled to be able to present Harrison’s elegant and charming poetry to a Vancouver audience.”
The Misanthrope, a 17th century comedy of errors written by French playwright and actor Molière, was first performed on June 4, 1666. Three hundred and forty-four years later to the day, the play remains as relevant as ever.
Harrison sets the play in George W. Bush’s Washington, D.C. in 2006. The war in Iraq is well underway, and hypocrisy reigns supreme. The protagonist ‘Al’ (Molière’s Alceste) works as a journalist, exposing the lies and corruption of Washington society. But Al’s moral extremism takes him on a personal journey of discovery, as his self-righteous opinions are challenged by conventional society.
The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière’s best-known work today.
For more information please go to: www.unitedplayers.com
