HIT CANADIAN PLAY OLD STOCK RETURNS TO NAC
Indie production has resonated internationally
Ottawa-born Hannah Moscovitch wrote Old Stock: A Refugee Story after learning about her great-grandparents’ arrival in Canada as Jewish refugees from Romania more than 100 years ago. It’s an often dark tale, but with engaging music co-written by singer-songwriter-actor Ben Caplan and director Christian Barry, it has resonated with audiences well beyond Canada’s borders. In the two years since it appeared at the NAC’s Canada Scene festival, the show has travelled the world and racked up awards, making it the biggest hit in Canadian indie theatre in years. In this edited interview, Lynn Saxberg catches up with director Barry.
Q Old Stock played at the NAC’s Canada Scene festival two summers ago, and it’s been touring ever since. Was that a breakthrough?
A What was terrific at Canada Scene was that it was not only a celebration of 150 years of Canada, but it was also a nexus point for the creative industries. Presenters from around the world were coming because they knew they could see a number of Canadian works in one place. So although we had done the local premiere in Halifax, July 2017 was kind of our national/ international premiere, and it was amazing. Ottawa was a great initial launch for the show but then when we went to the Edinburgh fringe, it really broke open the gates internationally. By the time we closed the run in the NAC studio, that was our 15th performance. By the time we get back, it will be our 215th performance.
Q Is this kind of success unprecedented for a Canadian independent theatre production?
A I’d say so. Obviously a commercial hit like Come From Away has crossed international borders in an impressive way. But for something out of the independent theatre scene, I think one of the reasons Old Stock has been a success is it straddles the kind of independent art-scene crowd and the popular theatregoing crowd. It’s an entertaining piece of theatre that has darkness and humour intertwined around a hot political issue, that being the issue of the international refugee crisis. It’s really got content you can chew on, but it’s also very accessible as a piece of music colliding with a piece of theatre
that can get your toes tapping and get you clapping along with the songs in the show.
Q There are references in it to Canada’s election campaign of 2015. Did you ever second guess using phrases like “old-stock Canadians” and “barbaric cultural practices”?
A There was an early moment when we were taking it to Edinburgh, when we were wondering if we should replace any of the references. We made the choice at the time to leave all of those in because they felt authentic to our purpose, and it turns out that the Canadian debate on the refugee crisis was remarkably universal and continues to be. It’s amazing and a little bit chilling that the story of Jews coming to Canada in a climate of anti-Semitism 100 years ago is still so resonant with the experience of many refugees around the world and in Canada today. Whether they’re encountering Islamophobia or other forms of xenophobia, it really seems to resonate.
Q What feedback do you get from audiences?
A They will come up and thank me for telling their story, whether it’s their grandparents or great-grandparents who came from Eastern Europe or somewhere else. They recognize the difficulty of integrating into a culture that isn’t familiar and it makes them appreciate more deeply the risk that was taken and the sacrifices that were made, just by seeing the story play out. I also think, and I’m speaking as a white male Canadian, it reminds people of their privilege, and the fact that we were lucky enough to be born on this side of the border. It’s a remarkable thing that we don’t often take the time to reflect on how lucky we are to be born in a place like this.
Q Some new cast members have joined. How come?
A Yes, nobody who signed on to do the premiere of the show could have predicted that twoand-a-half years later, we’d still be doing tours. We’re actually booked right into 2021. There are three new people: Kelsey McNulty is our new keyboard and accordion player. Our new drummer is Jeffrey Kingsbury, who’s from Ottawa. He just joined us in London, England. And the new Chiam, who also plays the woodwinds in the show, is Eric Da Costa. They’ve all had a run under their belts now. It is a challenge when you create such precise and demanding tracks in the show, but after 200 shows, it’s exciting to have a new energy in the room.
Q Any other changes?
A I think there was a rawness and excitement to shows number 12 through 15 in Ottawa when we were still getting to know the characters and getting to know what made the show work. I think there’s a degree of depth of understanding of both the characters and the music that we probably didn’t possess two years ago, that I think we do now. Not to be unkind to our former selves, but I think that the show is a lot better now.
Q The show was nominated for multiple awards, and now you’re up for the Siminovitch Prize. Is that a big deal for you?
A What’s really nice about the Siminovitch, first of all, is I’m nominated with a couple of peers I look up to, and that’s always humbling when you’re up alongside people that impress and wow you on a regular basis. But what’s also nice about this one is it’s recognizing consistency and hard work over 20 years of work, rather than just kind of something you made over a few months that turned into a hit. So yeah, that’s an honour.
Q The play is back in Ottawa in time for election night. Is that a strategic booking?
A Oh, we are very aware. It feels very appropriate, I think. It’s almost like the show is coming home for election night. Because again, in the run-up to the 2015 election, all of the talking points were about quotas and numbers and jobs. I’m not a politician. I don’t know what the right numbers are, and I’m not saying the border should be opened wide. I just want people to think about the human experience behind those numbers when they engage with the subject. lsaxberg@postmedia.com