Theatre Review

Saint Joan By: George Bernard Shaw

Directed By: Jackie Maxwell

At: The Shaw Festival Of Canada

Website: www.shawfest.com

2007 Season

Location: Niagara-On-The-Lake

Theatre: Festival Theatre

4 ½ Stars

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

‘This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a true force of nature instead of a feverish clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not dedicate itself to making you happy….I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is not a brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing on to future generations.’ – George Bernard Shaw

I liked this quote by Shaw so much, I laminated it and put it on the wall in my bedroom. If Joan of Arc had laminating in her day, she would have done the same; as she appears to have lived her own life according to this quote. A deeply passionate person from the crevices of our legitimate history, commonly known as The Maiden; Joan a country farmer’s daughter appears to have made a lasting impression on history. Whether one is religious or not, we can all consider Saint Joan a bonafide miracle worker under the premise that she led a cavalry to victory and a country to freedom all after making sure the cows were milked.

George Bernard Shaw came into Joan of Arc’s history at an interesting turning point; in 1920 Joan was given sainthood – almost 500 years after her death. Shaw saw this as an opportunity to explore the politics of both his time and Joan of Arc’s. An unromantic approach to the Maid Of Orleans, Shaw’s version is one of a spirited and devoted person to her cause. He also explores heavily the politics of religion in this play.

I can remember getting my first dose of Joan of Arc, it was in the popular film of the same name starring Ingrid Bergman. A romantic appeal, the film version of Joan was very gentle and focused more on her devotion to the voices she heard then the role as commander and leader. At this year’s Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake a much more spirited Joan took the stage. As the only female part in the play, Tara Rosling seemed to be the cornerstone of greatness in this already vibrant production of epic proportions.

Where to start really? The sets were stunning. The set seemed to morph from one scene to another seamlessly. A particular inspiring ‘morphing’ was from a decrepit forest to a stage filled in darkness and illuminated in the glow of a stars’ night sky. The lighting seemed to be the presence of Joan’s God onstage as a soft glowing halo of light shone directly overhead; it represented an unseen presence…one whose light seemed to dim slowly under the darkness of Joan’s trial.

The costumes had ingenuity and layering as the soldiers were not decked out in shiny armour of Joan’s era, but of World War I attire from Shaw’s day. This simple gesture of garments continually drew forth Joan’s fifteenth century experiences into the concept rendering her a Saint five hundred years later; an intelligent manoeuvre from concept to costume.

Artistic Director of Shaw this year, Jackie Maxwell, chose this as her directing vehicle; rolling up her sleeves and getting knee deep into the life of this play. Maxwell builds a tight vision that all the cast could easily adhere to. Maxwell has really showcased her own talents as a well organized director making her whole cast and crew focus towards a single vision.

Even though the set changes, costumes and Shaw’s words are of great accolades for this production, quite possibly the strongest pillar to this production is the versatile and committed cast.

Ben Carlson who is also in The Philanderer, plays Bishop of Beauvais, a powerful and venomous adversary to Joan -- with great conviction. Harry Judge as the man-child Dauphin is ludicrous, and enigmatic, powerful and useless all at once. Judge seemed to hit the right note for this role. When the cast is joined in heated conversations such as that between Carlson (Bishop of Beauvais), Peter Krantz (Chaplain de Stogumber) and Blair Williams (Earl of Warwick) the stage comes alive with tangible politics, as pithy and edgy as any conversations Shakespeare would have built for one of his English kings.

Yet, atop this splendour stands Tara Rosling in Saint Joan’s shoes, making The Maiden real and earthbound. Rosling’s airy but strong voice is captivating and vibrant as the words of Shaw pour out of her as if she truly were Joan of Arc. Rosling was truly well cast as she seems to bring so much to the role and appears perfect in every detail. Few have the quality Rosling has and it can’t be bought, or trained into; it simply is. She will go far, and if she doesn’t it is some grave misunderstanding as she gives her heart to every performance I have seen her in and commits to every role the way all great actresses do.

If you think you’ve seen or heard all you need to know about Joan of Orleans, then take the time to see Shaw’s version of Saint Joan as he had a fresh take on her role in history both at the time she lived and the time she was canonized. Reread the quote at the top of the page by Shaw and wonder whether you might have the same dedication to your vision as Joan did to hers; even in the face of adversity. Even after almost six hundred years, she might be a tough act to follow...