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| The magnificent Joan Orenstein (centre) with Helen Taylor and Aidan Devine in Centaur's production of Juno and the Paycock (photo courtesy of Centaur) |
Five (Immediately) Memorable Performancesby Gaëtan L. Charlebois
Today we're starting a new weekly feature at CharPo, inspired by the popularity of David Allan King's list, Ten Things Artists Are Sure They Know About Critics and my own list Five (Immediately) Memorable Shows. Each week we'll give you a list of five things; the intent is to provoke discussion or merely be useful. Enjoy (and comment)!
Joan Orenstein (pictured above), People Are Living There, Centaur, 1975. It was my first year as a Centaur subscriber and it wasn't a great year for the old house until this Fugard play in which Orenstein created an indelible memory as a bath-robed, shambling landlady of a flophouse. She was sad, funny and gorgeous. She would dominate Centaur's stage once again, decades later, in Stone Angel.
Jean Archambault, Hosanna, 1978, Festival Lennoxville. I was in Lennoxville negotiating a production of my play and got passes to everything in the fest but this is not only the performance I most remember, it is also one I will never forget. Archambault had created this role in French but the second language did not seem to hinder his subtle, heart-breaking performance as the bitchy but ultimately tragic transvestite. English would not impede him in his performance in the creation of Balconville either.
