PL AYBILL of human bondage
of human bondage vern thiessen based on the novel by w. somerset maugham }{
approximate running time: 2 hours & 10 minutes. there will be one 20 minute intermission
ARTIST NOTE: GREGORY PREST
I’m writing this program note two hours after our first day of rehearsal for this remount production of Of Human Bondage. Walking into the rehearsal room today was like opening a box of forgotten memories. Props, costumes and set pieces, packed away since last year, jog us instantly back to “Oh yes, this scene!” or send us scrambling to our notes confused with “I did what with that skeleton?” Like a family gathered together in the same room again, the old jokes, dynamics and hijinks fly out of us almost unconsciously. We gather around a laptop to watch bits of the archival video to remind ourselves of some of the trickier sections that no one seems to remember. We help each other out with spacing and specific movements – because in this particular piece, something as trivial as setting down a pencil cues a whole symphony of sound, music,
movement and story. We all depend on one another. We all rely on one another. And because of this, I am reminded of how much I love this show. The gift of a remount (especially a new play) is a trust that the piece, at its heart, works. The amount of intimate, intricate collaboration that occurred last year was inspiring; and the memories of that time flood our veins and give us courage to tackle this beautiful story yet again. Putting this play together was a real labour of love. What a joy to be able to do it again. I hope you love it too.
p roduc t ion s p on sor
gregory prest, Philip Carey in Of Human Bondage