The questions remains: Lizzie? You didn’t, did you?
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School presented a mind-blowing production of “Blood Relations,” an original play written by Sharon Pollock and based on the true story surrounding the deaths of Abby and Andrew Borden.
This thrilling tale tells of Lizzie Borden’s story, relating the events leading to the axe murders of her father and stepmother, of which she was acquitted.
A decade later, Lizzie Borden entertains her dear friend, Nance O’Neil, the actress, who questioned whether or not Lizzie had truly murdered her parents. To suggest a possible answer, the suspect proposed a game: to have the actress portray Lizzie in a re-enactment of Lizzie’s life before the subsequent murders, and to decide based on her interpretation of events if she killed them.
Lizzie herself would play Bridget, the Borden family’s maid, who was with Lizzie on the day of the murder.
Flashbacks to this time follow, with other characters entering the scene up until the parents’ untimely deaths.
The production as a whole was executed without a hitch, due to the outstanding efforts made by both the cast and crew. The sets were exquisite and detailed, from the candlesticks and other knickknacks on the shelves to the landscape paintings and portraits on the wall. Painted by Eddie Pedersen and the cast, and furnished by Chuck Jagelo, Lillie Pizzacalla-Groulx, and Nancy Kacur, the sets were lavish and suited to the time frame.
The actress, played by Emma Venator, was amazing, her acting believable and full of passion, depicting Lizzie Borden’s shifting mental instability convincingly. Kendell Perchaluk portrayed the real Lizzie Borden and Bridget, the maid, in the past, her accent shifting to suit the maid’s Irish ancestry, and her voice powerful and clear. These actresses’ skills were highlighted throughout the performance, keeping the audience engaged in times when the tension in the air was thick enough to be cut by a knife (even an axe), and in scenes focused solely on inter-Borden family relationships. The extremes of tense situations and mundane conversation were balanced to scale, and worked together to create a compelling tale.
The costumes were beautiful and fitting to the styles of the era, from beautiful floor length dresses to tailored suits. The lighting was effective, the illumination dimming for flashbacks and spotlights during dramatic scenes. Spotlights were utilized to highlight a person on the stand in court room scenes, in which a voiceover by Jack Antaya was used to represent the defence. Absolute darkness used in the most tense of situations only added to the macabre atmosphere.
The production was well above and beyond all expectations of a high school play, with a professional grade quality. As the actress says, Blood Relations leaves us all wondering, “Lizzie? You didn’t, did you?”