HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-09-17, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009. PAGE 23.Entertainment Leisure&
Innocence Lost: A Play About
Steven Truscott, the second remount
to grace the Blyth Festival’s stage in
as many years, brings a story that
will live with Huron County back to
the people of Huron County one
more time.
While it is a stirring portrayal of
the events that landed Truscott
behind bars in Goderich, Innocence
Lost, is more of a study of people
touched by this case, leaving
Truscott himself to fade into the
periphery.
Innocence Lost brings Huron
County flavour to a meal we’ve all
had many times before. The Truscott
case has been examined and re-
examined dozens of times.
Playwright Beverley Cooper’s work
on this topic, however, is executed
perfectly from behind the eyes of the
people of Huron County, those
involved enough to be hurt, but
detached enough to gossip.
While the script is more
monologue than dialogue, the events
leading to Truscott’s arrest are
relayed to the audience with very
little interactive drama, rather, with
characters communicating through a
seemingly invisible fourth wall with
the audience.
The events are recalled with a
harsh reality, inciting sometimes
cringe-worthy moments. The level
of uncomfortablity is one that is
related from the characters through
to the audience.
While the details of the Truscott
case, including intimate physical
descriptions of Truscott and the
brutal rape and murder of Lynne
Harper, would not be out of place on
any prime-time drama gracing
today’s televisions, there is
something unsettling about the
forum the details assume in
Innocence Lost, which makes the
title fit like a glove.
A young Truscott, who was just
into his early teens at the time of the
incident, played by returning cast
member Curtis teBrinke, barely
understands the details of what he is
being questioned about. And it is
through his classmates, childhood
friends and neighbourhood
witnesses that the story is recounted.
Immediately after Harper is found
dead, many students are faced with
loss for the first time. However, the
naivity with which the young people
approach the situation that has
befallen their classmates, becomes
evident very early on.
In a conversation between Tova
Smith, who played several young
girls throughout the play and Marion
Day, who portrays the play’s central
character, Sarah, Day begins to
believe that Truscott was capable
and in fact, guilty of the rape and
murder of which he was accused.
Smith, however, then asks Day if
she knows what rape is, to which she
eventually confesses, she does not.
It is through these tender eyes that
a very adult story takes place,
providing a sympathetic view to a
story that may never have been
looked at this way before.
Day’s character, Sarah, says of
that time in their lives, “It was the
end of our childhood, the death of
our innocence. From that moment on
everything changed.”
Sarah’s words summarize how you
see the children change before your
eyes. Again, however, it is the
periphery that changes. It is Huron
County that changes while Truscott
can’t see it, while he is locked away,
life and even his story goes on
without him.
Day is excellent, carrying the story
when she needs to and bringing the
audience’s view into her own line of
vision when she needs to.
Another stand-out is Tova Smith.
Smith’s work on last year’s Courting
Johanna, proved her capability to
play years below her age, and her
work in Innocence Lost further
proves that.
Music is used sparingly, but when
it is used, it is not without great
impact. The short musical interludes
used throughout the play, however,
hit the dramatic nail on the head.
Innocence Lost is not a historical
record of the event’s surrounding
Truscott, to say it’s a dramatic
representation would also be untrue.
The people of Huron County are
the subject, the tragedy that met
Harper in the bushes and Truscott’s
subsequent imprisonment provide
the setting.
Innocence Lost is a story about
Huron County first and foremost. It
tells the story of this area, its way of
life and how stories are told from
person to person and how lives are
shaped from generation to
generation.
Luke and Shirley Bouman
and
John and Lorraine VanderNiet
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their children
Lauren Shirley
to
Jason Kenneth John
on Friday, September 25, 2009
at 2:00 p.m.
in the Blyth Christian
Reformed Church.
F o r t h c o m i ng Marriage
MON., OCTOBER 19/09 – 7PM
CENTENNIAL HALL
LONDON
Tickets available at
The Centennial Hall Box Office.
Charge by Phone 519-672-1967
www.centennialhall.london.ca
Happy 1st
Wedding Anniversary
Jordan & Jenna Gibbings
September 13
Love your family
Liz & Jamie Ross and Eric &
Krystal Bujold would like to
annouce the marriage of
their parents
Mary & Gilles
on August 7, 2009 at the
bride’s home in Brussels.
Open House
for
John & Margaret
Verburg
25th Anniversary
at the
Londesborough
Community Hall
Friday, September 18
7-10 pm
Please help us celebrate the
50th Wedding Anniversary
for
Doug and Florence
Machan
Saturday, September 19
from 2:00 ~ 4:30 pm
Come and Go at
Jim and Linda McDonald’s
43010 Moncrieff Rd., Brussels
Best wishes only please or
donations will be accepted for
Huron County Food Bank.
Innocence Lost
Marion Day, left, plays Sarah in the Blyth Festival remount
of Innocence Lost: A Play About Steven Truscott. After the
brutal murder of Lynne Harper, right, played by Tatum
Bedard, the rest of Huron County is left to put the pieces
together. (Terry Manzo photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Innocence Lost returns to the Blyth Festival