Oedipus story not for everyone, but performances strong
It’s safe to say the story of Oedipus isn’t a lot of laughs.
We’re all familiar with the myth. Oedipus unwittingly murders his dad and marries Jocasta, his mom. When the truth finally comes out, the kind of self-annihilating mayhem one sees only in Greek tragedy ensues, a.k.a., suicide, self-inflicted eye gouging and other hijinx.
With Jocasta Regina, Canadianborn playwright Nancy Huston offers a contemporary version of the classic tale. Her 2009 play is singular in that it delivers the story primarily from Jocasta’s point of view. In this version, rather than a two-dimensional cutout, she’s a fully fleshed-out woman: determined, smart, funny, lusty, a great mom and so forth.
Huston’s treatment is an interesting and even admirable take on one of humankind’s archetypal tales (even if you’re unfamiliar with Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, you’ve no doubt heard about Freud’s Oedipus complex). That said, Theatre Inconnu’s new production of Jocasta Regina won’t be for everyone.
Yes, there is worthwhile direction and some strong performances. And it’s true Huston’s dialogue is often poetic and stirring (although the prose sometimes turns a disconcerting shade of purple). Overall, the script gets bogged down by a certain stiffness and self-consciousness. And there’s an overemphasis on exposition; too much telling and not enough showing.
Although the essential elements of the original tale are retained, Jocasta Regina has a modern look. Oedipus (Montgomery Bjornson) wears a snappy suit; Jocasta (Wendy Magahay) sports a peppy leather skirt.
From the get-go, we sense the chemistry between the two. The pair engage in eroticized — almost salacious — chitchat, complete with gleeful anatomical references. It’s a tad over the top; however, Huston does succeed in establishing that Jocasta and Oedipus are genuinely in love, despite having been married for a long time. This scene worked well on Thursday night, with Bjornson and Magahay displaying a convincing chemistry.
We also learn that Jocasta has a terrific relationship with her teenage daughters Antigone (Amber Landry) and Ismene (Autumn Antonsen). The kids sometimes quarrel, but darn it, everyone loves each other deep down — there’s plenty of hugs. And Oedipus seems like a swell dad.
The audience can’t help but like and empathize with this family. That’s why it’s so terrible when everything goes awry. Oedipus eventually gets wind of the fact that he killed daddy and married mummy. He’s devastated, of course — and who can blame him?
Here’s where it gets interesting. Jocasta (who perhaps knew what was up before Oedipus clued in) delivers an impassioned speech, trying to convince Oedipus that the fact he’s her son isn’t such a big deal. They have a deep and abiding love, a great physical relationship and family and so forth. Yet judging by the horrified look on Oedipus’s face, this line of argument isn’t going down well.
This anguished scene — delivered with convincing passion — is one of Magahay’s finest. At one point, Jocasta seems fed up with Oedipus’s conventional sense of disgust, declaring: “Is it possible, Oedipus, before my very eyes you’ve grown banal?”
Her final (i.e. pre-suicide) speech is similarly affecting. Magahay makes us comprehend the profundity of the tragedy. As Huston intends, we realize Jocasta Regina transcends being merely an “incest play” — it’s about society’s capacity for intolerance and the destructive power this can have.
Bjornson’s best moments are in the first half of this two-hour (with intermission) show. I sensed at times he grappled a bit with the dialogue’s oddly formal feel, which is indeed a challenge.
Jocasta Regina boasts a onewoman Greek chorus, played by Catriona Black. It’s partly a device to engage the audience; the character narrates and comments on the action in a joking, colloquial manner. On paper, it seems a good idea — in practice, it seemed tacked on and awkward.
Director Clayton Jevne has encouraged the cast to make strong use of gesture. This works well and sometimes imbues the action with a sense of symmetry and elegance.
Devotees of Greek mythology might enjoy this Jocasta Regina. Others will find it an odd night at the theatre.