Category Archives: Theater

The Women of Lockerbie, a Play by Deborah Brevoort

Posted on by
6
Playbill for the Women of Lockerbie

If you get a chance to see the play The Women of Lockerbie by Deborah Brevoort, by all means go.

I went to see The Women of Lockerbie because I remember when Pan Am 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, killing 259 people on the plane and eleven people on the ground.

And I went to see The Women of Lockerbie because the advertisement said the play was styled after a Greek tragedy with a Greek-like chorus. I loved my ancient Greek theater class in college.

As we entered the small experimental theater, a sign alerted us there would be no intermission, and if we left the theater during the 75-minute play, we would not be allowed to return. The play needs to be seen without interruption.

The set for The Women of Lockerbie at University of Minnesota-Duluth

The stark stage washed in a pale-blue light held two props, four painted panels, and a fabric river dividing everything in two: the land, people, emotions, needs.

When the play starts, it’s seven years after the tragic bombing of Pan Am 103, and many loved ones of the victims have come to participate in the dedication of a memorial.

We meet a married couple who lost their only child in the bombing: a wife overwhelmed by grief and a husband who hides from it. We meet a callous American official who is to oversee the destruction of the personal property that once belonged to the people on Pan Am Flight 103. We meet the women of Lockerbie who witnessed the tragedy, suffered their own losses, and struggle to heal. The women of Lockerbie who want to wash, iron, and fold the clothes of the bombing victims and return them to their surviving families.

Grief in all its forms: raw, stuffed, converted, unacknowledged, motionless, haunted, and rage-filled, permeates the story. But so do love, compassion, and forgiveness.

At one point in the play, the set goes black. Not a whisper, not a sigh, not a breath is heard. In the darkness. The audience is moved to absolute silence. Tears spill from my eyes. I make no move to dig for a tissue in my purse. I cannot break the moment with sound.

No one from the audience left the theater during the play. And for 75 minutes in a small intimate theater, a group of outstanding college actors held us spellbound by the depth of their performance.

If you ever have a chance to see the play, by all means go.

Anne of Green Gables, the Play

Posted on by
4
Playbill from Anne of Green Gables adapted for the stage by Peter DeLaurier

On Sunday I took my fourteen-year-old grandchild to see a play based on the children’s novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

Montgomery’s novel about a determined, outspoken, red-headed orphan is one of my favorites. I’ve read it twice.

I went to see the play for two reasons: first, to meet up with my old fictional friend Anne Shirley of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, and, second to introduce my grandchild to Anne’s story. Judging by the large crowd of people at the play, who ranged from senior citizens to young children, Anne Shirley is still loved by old friends and still being introduced to new friends.

Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables in 1905. At first her book was rejected by publishers. Montgomery set her novel aside for a while, but in 1907 she sent it to L.C. Page in Boston. It was accepted and published in 1908. Within five months she sold over 19,000 copies, and it was reprinted numerous times in its first year. Since its publication over fifty million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into over thirty-six languages.

What makes the novel so popular and timeless? Most definitely, it’s the main character, Anne Shirley, who wins our hearts. Set in the late 1800s, we meet Anne when she is eleven years old. She is an orphan who has lived in both foster homes and the orphanage. Her life changes when Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew Cuthbert decide they need someone to help the aging Matthew with his farm chores. Marilla writes to the orphanage to request a boy be sent to them, but there is a mix up, and Anne is sent instead.

Anne has been an orphan since she was a baby. She longs for a family and a home to call her own. She has red hair and freckles, and she believes this makes her ugly. She is outspoken, talkative, and a daydreamer. In a time when girls were to be ladylike and sweet, her candid manner is labeled impertinent and disgraceful. At first Marilla is adamant that Anne should be returned to the orphanage, but Matthew doesn’t agree. Anne’s spirit touches him, and he convinces Marilla to give Anne a chance.

Why have readers for over a hundred years loved Anne of Green Gables? Because Anne wants what we all want — a home, a family, and to be loved for who she is. She doesn’t want people to make fun of her red hair and freckles. She doesn’t want people to silence her outgoing personality or tell her daydreaming is frivolous. We cheer for Anne. She is our hero, not because she is always good or perfect, but because she is so human. When she makes mistakes, she learns from them while remaining true to herself. Anne’s willingness to be true to who she is as she grows up, changes the people around her, and they become more accepting and open minded.

Over a hundred years after its publication, Montgomery’s story still invites readers to be compassionate and accepting of people’s differences. Furthermore, without moralizing, her novel delivers this message with humor; tenderness; and richly drawn characters, such as the unforgettable, irrepressible Anne Shirley.

The play I saw on Sunday was wonderful. The actor who played Anne Shirley was outstanding. She captured the essence of Anne and brought her to life on stage. The supporting cast were also excellent; after all, there are no small parts. The play was creatively staged on a well-designed set, and the costumes were charming. (I found myself wishing I could wear some of them!) The play remained true to Montgomery’s story, and I loved being able to say to myself over and over, “Yes, I remember that from the book!”

Best of all, my fourteen-year-old grandchild loved the play. Teenage years can be difficult. Young people can be filled with self-doubt and feel as though everyone is judging them as they work to discover who they are and what they want out of life. The characters in Anne of Green Gables remind us that acceptance, kindness, and love are timeless and important for both the young and old. This message feels even more important today. In a world where some people want to divide us, we need to remember we are more alike than different. To forget this is to put our humanity at risk.