If We Were Birds not for the faint of heart

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Theatre Inconnu’s If We Were Birds captured the audience’s attention last night with intensity; not knowing if an appropriate reaction would be laughing, cringing, or crying seemed to be the general consensus. Walking into the innocent-looking venue, you wouldn’t really expect a production with brutally striking content, but If We Were Birds drew in the audience’s attention with the dedicated actors, choice of music, and the fluidity of the play.

In a word, If We Were BIrds is intense (photo by Clayton Jevne).
In a word, If We Were BIrds is intense (photo by Clayton Jevne).

The story is dark and twisted: it centres around the use of rape as a war weapon. This play is not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart, as brutal rape and sex were described in almost every monologue and scene. The actors carefully handled the delicate and terrible subject matter, even during some of the most graphic scenes, where some of the actresses described their hymens and were raped while their vomiting husbands watched.

There were also moments of sarcastic comedic relief, which were extremely well needed. I can honestly say bringing a friend instead of a date was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, as the content would have surely made the atmosphere beyond uncomfortable. Your face muscles will probably be sore from tense cringing after watching this production, especially during the main female character’s rape scene.

But although the graphic subject matter was tense, it was portrayed accurately and was artistically appealing. The director’s use of the minimal stage props, ill-fitting costumes on the female leads, and a picture-slideshow backdrop at first looked extremely cheap, but everything was pulled off with a unique, efficient creativity, reusing single props over again in ways I wouldn’t have thought of.

The actors, director, and everyone else involved pulled off a successful and powerful production here. I was impressed and shocked watching this play… and am glad I watched it on an empty stomach.

If We Were Birds
Until October 17
$10, Theatre Inconnu (1923 Fernwood Road)
theatreinconnu.com