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written and directed by Frances Koncan

Vault Projects, Toronto Fringe Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, Toronto

July 5-14, 2018

What if the Louis Riel’s actions were related to us by three 19th-century women who reacted like 21st-century teenagers? That's the shaky premise of Frances Koncan’s latest play, winner of first place at the Toronto Fringe New Play Contest,  that sheds light neither on Riel nor on women of either century.

In Fort Garry, Manitoba, three very best friends await the return of Riel. The British Cecilia (Elizabeth Whitbread) longs for the return of her husband Thomas Scott. The Métis Marie-Angelique (Haley Vincent) only wants to marry Riel. The Ojibwe fur-trader Eugenia (Joelle Peters) hates men in general and John A. Macdonald in particular.    

Each relates her reactions to Riel’s rebellion in different ways, mixing modern slang and Victorian expressions to mildly amusing effect.

While it’s easy to make the cynical Eugenia and the princess-like Marie-Angelique seem modern, it’s impossible to do so with the staunchly Victorian Cecilia. Koncan has tried to give us a young female perspective on Riel, but it amounts to assessing his hotness, not what he does. Yet when Riel’s trial and execution are the subject, Koncan drops her playful approach and has the women simply narrate what happened and praise Riel as a hero.

We’re left with an extremely superficial view both of the women and of Louis Riel.

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in NOW Magazine on July 8, 2018.

Photo: Frances Koncan, Erica Wilson and Erin Meagan Schwartz. ©2018 Leah Borchert.

For tickets, visit https://fringetoronto.com.