Saskatoon StarPhoenix

EXPOSED AND AFRAID

Naked tourists wreak havoc in play

- writes Cam Fuller.

It takes a village to raise a play.

Ask Rod Macpherson, who is holding in his hand the ninth draft of his play Naked Tourist Sacred Mountain.

The play has gone through numerous readings and workshops thanks to the Saskatchew­an Playwright­s Centre.

“Every time I see a workshop director and workshop actor add something to the play, it’s always good,” Macpherson says.

“When there’s bad writing, they make it look better and when there’s good writing, they really make it look good.”

Speaking of villages, it was a spurious claim in a YouTube video that raised the writer’s antennae in the first place — fake news before the term was coined.

In 2015, a group of tourists in Borneo climbed sacred Mount Kinabalu and posed for pictures at the top in various stages of undress. A few days later, there was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake which killed at least 16 people. The tourists were blamed.

To fan the flames, someone posted a video that claimed villagers wanted cash and “10 buffalo” in recompense.

“I said to myself, this is kind of suspicious,” says Macpherson.

He got to work writing, focusing on two tourists, an Australian man and Canadian woman. Things are tense as they hide in a hotel room wondering how to extricate themselves from the situation.

Macpherson doesn’t want to put anyone off by dwelling on the story’s deeper meanings. Rather, he insists, “it’s just a story about real people in a tight situation.”

However, he does reluctantl­y allow that there’s a faith element and “Western liberal consumeris­t impulses” are pitted against timeless and sacred mountain values.

The play contains some unconventi­onal casting. Earl Pereira, better known as the leader of the band The Steadies and former member of Wide Mouth Mason, portrays a Malaysian government official.

“He has no fear appearing on stage because he’s opened for the Stones and the Tragically Hip. He’s right in there,” Macpherson says.

Nathan Coppens plays the Australian. Anna Mazurik is the Canadian woman. She’s quickly become a force in local theatre, appearing in Displaced at Live Five last season, Shakespear­e on the Saskatchew­an and, Dominion at GTNT. She won outstandin­g emerging artist at this fall’s SATAwards.

“Anna is the kind of actor who takes as much work as she can; she works very hard and she’s just naturally gifted at it,” Macpherson says.

Andrew Johnston returns as director. He helmed last season’s Apple.

Macpherson is not one to stretch things out. His play has no intermissi­on. His goal is to tell a good story and “get you home in time for the news.”

“I like a play that runs 80 minutes. I’m trying to compete with all the entertainm­ents that are out there.”

So hold on to your hat — and other articles of clothing.

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 ?? MICHELLE BERG ?? Anna Mazurik and Nathan Coppens star in Naked Tourist, Sacred Mountain, a story about people trying to get out of a sticky situation.
MICHELLE BERG Anna Mazurik and Nathan Coppens star in Naked Tourist, Sacred Mountain, a story about people trying to get out of a sticky situation.

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