REVIEW

Inuit bogeyman and a little girl fishing works its magic

Kathryn Greenaway - The Gazette
Monday October 15, 2007

In the world of Geordie Productions, the play A Promise is a Promise has come full circle.

Artistic director Dean Patrick Fleming performed in the original cast 21 years ago. This time Fleming directs the play which opened the company's mainstage season at D.B. Clarke Theatre over the weekend.

The story, inspired by an Inuit legend, was written by Robert Munsch and Michael Kusugak and was adapted for the stage by Barbara Poggemiller.

A Promise is A Promise was originally conceived as a pack-itin-a-suitcase touring production. In fact, it is touring elementary schools again this season. The sets are simple and props are kept to a minimum. This does not imply any lack of imagination.

Opening night, one large, circular piece of white silk was manipulated by the actors to transform into everything from a dogsled team to an igloo to a wasteland of drifting snow.

The floating white silk, a soundscape of whale cries and throat singing and a shifting lighting design reflecting the cool Arctic color spectrum situated the piece in the far north, on the shores of a frozen sea, where the Qallupilluit lurks.

The Qallupilluit is a sort of far-north bogey man who, as the legend goes, captures children who have disobyed and strayed too far from their parents.

The action swirls around a young girl named Allushua (played with a twinkle by Jennifer Miller) who wanders away to fish where she shouldn't. Trouble ensues.

Fleming had great material to work with and a strong cast to bring it to life. There was no need to mess with success. Clean and simple was best and he knew it.

Aimée Ambroziak as Mother; Nem Jevtovic as Father and the goofily assertive Chris Masson as Qallupilluit worked their collective talents opening night charming the young audience.

Four children are selected from the audience before each show to participate in the performance and opening night's four volunteers did themselves proud.

Geordie's next mainstage production is Hana's Suitcase, written by Emil Sher from a book by Karen Levine. The true story is about a little girl who dies in a Nazi concentration camp and the class of Japanese students and their teacher research her life. Hana's brother George Brady will answer questions following the Nov. 25 performance.

kgreenaway@thegazette.canwest.com

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