Theatre at UBC
Unity (1918)
By Kevin Kerr

Dates and Venue 13 - 22 November 2008, 8pm | Frederic Wood Theatre

Director Stephen Drover Set Design Kevin McAllister Lighting Craig Alferdson Stage Manager Laura McLean

Reviewer Jane Penistan


Unity 1918 is the Canadian home experience of the First World War in contrast to UBC’s recent production of Billy Bishop Goes to War. The isolation of a prairie town and the time lag of news arrival contribute to the apparent animosity between neighours in Unity. Fear of the unknown and fear of mortal illness are added anxieties. When quarantine is ordered due to the influenza epidemic of 1918 and the trains are forbidden to stop at their station, the townsfolk must pool their resources. Unity is alone and must look after itself. In their fear and uncertainty, members of the congregation try to find scapegoats for their misfortunes.

Those in the greatest need themselves are the ones who serve the strangers in their midst. It is the bereft dirt farmer, taking his dead wife to be buried by the town’s mortician, who befriends the blind soldier decanted into the town by one of the still operating trains. It is the lonely immigrant niece of the now dead mortician who takes in and cares for the lonely abandoned soldier from Halifax – a world away. The clannish townsfolk are suspicious of strangers.

Beatrice (Jocelyn Gauthier) a young woman in Unity, keeps a diary, and it is she who is the narrator of the play. Her younger sister Sissie (Kristine Jesudason) is a flirtatious teenager, enjoying teasing the young men of the town, much to Bea’s and her more affluent friend Mary’s (Tianna Nori) disapproval.
News of the outside world reaches the town by telephone, in the exchange, manned by Rose (Becky Shrimpton) and Doris (Jessica Nelson), a gossipy pair of local ladies who enjoy listening to and relaying all their neighbour’s news and gossip, as well as what outside news filters in.

Young men go off to join the forces, leaving lonely or broken hearts behind them, but life goes on more or less as usual until the arrival of the unknown blind soldier Hart, (Michael Neale), and the appearance of the feared influenza epidemic.

Stephen Drover has directed this production without scenery, most necessary furniture or properties being flown in or handled by the cast. The lighting is well used throughout to enhance the script and to indicate time of day and season, while mood of the scenes is subtly underscored.
Drover uses the revolving stage to excess, to change venues, often slowing down the action and tempo of the production. In consequence the pace drags and actors are not able to regain the energy necessary to the flow of the piece.

Good performances are put on by Michael Neale as Hart, whose movement as a blind man is well done and his characterization well thought out and delivered, while Jocelyn Gauthier sustains her long role admirably and sensitively. Jeff Kaiser’s Stan arouses sympathy from his first entrance and he develops his character throughout. Kevin Stark manages his two dissimilar young men with aplomb.

Maryanne Renzetti as the outcast Sunna, proves herself to be a very believable, self reliant, wise and hard working woman. Without the despised Sunna, neither Hart nor Unity would have survived. The youthful teenaged Sissy, who becomes the Cassandra of Unity, is well and thoughtfully developed by Christine Jesudason, this is another well sustained performance.

Unity 1918 is a long drawn out play, examining many aspects of small town early 20th century life. It is clear that much historical research has gone into the script and the development of the characters. This is a good companion piece of wartime drama, contrasting well with Billy Bishop Goes to War, in this 90th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918.

© 2008 Jane Penistan