Expectations exceeded in staging of Blood Relations
Did she, or didn't she?
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School’s production of “Blood Relations” by Canadian playwright, Sharon Pollock, explores the true unsolved murders of the Borden household. A true representation of a psychological thriller, “Blood Relations” was a past versus present juxtaposition investigating if Lizzie Borden committed the Borden murders. Brilliantly communicated through the two main leads, “Blood Relations” ended with a climax that was completely unexpected.
On Aug. 4, 1892, Abby and Andrew Borden were brutally murdered by someone wielding an axe in their own home in the middle of the day. With a combined total of 45 blows to the head, the prime suspect to this day was the youngest daughter, Lizzie Borden. Despite a motive, circumstantial evidence, and a shaky alibi, Lizzie was acquitted of the murders, much to the horror of America at the time.
“Blood Relations” explores Lizzie Borden, post-murders, as she entertains a close friend for afternoon tea. When asked if Lizzie had really done it, the audience is transported to the time of the murders, and Lizzie’s guest transforms into Lizzie, while the true Lizzie becomes the maid. Told through a highly unique lens, “Blood Relations” transforms the whodunnit cliché into a “did she?” style of storytelling.
The cast was lead by Emma Venator, who portrayed “The Actress,” who is the guest and past-Lizzie. Venator’s performance was outstanding, as it was apparent that she had a clear direction of who her character was, and how she wanted to communicate that to the audience. The other main female lead, Kendell Perchaluk, also acted commendably and was perfectly compatible with Venator’s performance. Quinton Lambert’s role as Harry, Lizzie's uncle, was memorable as his scenes always had the audience’s full attention.
Adding to the spectacle of the show, the sets and costumes completely fulfilled their duties by enhancing the on-stage action. They were both period appropriate, executed well, and stylistically beautiful. The lighting was also instrumental in creating the show, as a shift in the light signified a change in the time period. Well designed and executed, it added to the show’s atmosphere. Lastly, the sound was stylistically intriguing. With such a period-faithful play, using modern sound elements such as booming voiceovers and sound effects could have shattered the historical curation of the play. However, despite minor synchronization and balancing issues, the sound added to the eerie spectacle of the play in a positive manner.
“Blood Relations” is a play that the audience walked into with expectations, and left with those expectations shattered in light of something darker and more twisted than they would have originally conceived. Despite pacing issues in the first act of the play, the second act of “Blood Relations” transformed what could have been a light, historical drama into something more disturbing and horrifying.