Cherry Docs-No easy answers
by Brett Hooton, The Hour April 9th, 2009
Persephone Productions' Cherry Docs shows that even in this era of change and hope, the fight against racism goes on
Dan Jeannotte has epic hair. If you've ever seen local improv legends Uncalled For, you'll know him as the blur of comedic energy under the tsunami of brown locks. But the actor recently shaved off the mop for his role as a neo-Nazi in Cherry Docs. When he crosses his arms and thrusts his chin up defiantly, the transformation is downright scary. "He's been indoctrinated as a skinhead," Jeannotte says of his character. "I can't relate to that directly, but I can relate to feeling like you don't know how to move beyond your own thoughts."
Written by David Gow, the play follows a young man on trial for committing a racially motivated murder and the Jewish public defender (played by McGill professor Sean Carney) assigned to the case. The plot may seem "almost like a sitcom," as Jeannotte puts it, but ultimately the characters resist easy definitions.
"The play doesn't go that simplistic route," explains Jeannotte. "It ends up being about the possibility of redemption: who can be granted forgiveness and who can't."
With Obama in the White House, the idea of a post-racial society gets bandied about frequently these days. In that context, Persephone Productions' decision to stage Cherry Docs feels like a boot to the head, knocking people back to reality.
"In theatre, there's a lot of tying things up neatly at the end: 'This is the lesson we've taught you, now go home and feel better about yourselves,'" says Jeannotte. "But this play will get people questioning their own limits." Cherry Docs is at Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.), April 16-26
Persephone Productions' Cherry Docs shows that even in this era of change and hope, the fight against racism goes on
Dan Jeannotte has epic hair. If you've ever seen local improv legends Uncalled For, you'll know him as the blur of comedic energy under the tsunami of brown locks. But the actor recently shaved off the mop for his role as a neo-Nazi in Cherry Docs. When he crosses his arms and thrusts his chin up defiantly, the transformation is downright scary. "He's been indoctrinated as a skinhead," Jeannotte says of his character. "I can't relate to that directly, but I can relate to feeling like you don't know how to move beyond your own thoughts."
Written by David Gow, the play follows a young man on trial for committing a racially motivated murder and the Jewish public defender (played by McGill professor Sean Carney) assigned to the case. The plot may seem "almost like a sitcom," as Jeannotte puts it, but ultimately the characters resist easy definitions.
"The play doesn't go that simplistic route," explains Jeannotte. "It ends up being about the possibility of redemption: who can be granted forgiveness and who can't."
With Obama in the White House, the idea of a post-racial society gets bandied about frequently these days. In that context, Persephone Productions' decision to stage Cherry Docs feels like a boot to the head, knocking people back to reality.
"In theatre, there's a lot of tying things up neatly at the end: 'This is the lesson we've taught you, now go home and feel better about yourselves,'" says Jeannotte. "But this play will get people questioning their own limits." Cherry Docs is at Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.), April 16-26