Thought-provoking Jokes

Oren Safdie play excels thanks to good performances

It's difficult to know where to begin in commenting upon a play that is only 75 minutes long and deals in some detail with the esoteric side of architecture. That is the challenge I face when thinking about Private Jokes, Public Places, the season opener at the Tarragon Theatre. The play was written by Oren Safdie and reflects the experiences of his father, Moshe Safdie, creator of Montreal's famous Habitat structure for the 1967 Expo.
Margaret, a Korean-American architecture student, is presenting her thesis project to a jury of two distinguished architects, supported by a third who acts as her presenter, so to speak. We in the audience are her surrogate classmates. Margaret's project is for the construction of a community centre with such amenities as a swimming pool. She has been diligent in studying the environmental impact of her creation, as well as its relationship to the neighbouring buildings. On the surface it would appear that her design is attractive and responds well to basic architectural principles. However, her male and horribly chauvinistic judges think otherwise and do their best to destroy Margaret's self-confidence as a budding architect and her self-esteem as a woman. There is no conclusion to the impasse. It is merely stated for us to contemplate.
Fortunately, the performances are strong enough to carry this very talky play. Victor Ertmanis, who was brilliant last year in Tarragon's Remnants, once again gives us a commanding performance as Colin. Colin is absorbed with the trees and completely unaware of the forest. He rants and raves about modernism without convincing us that he really knows what it means in architectural terms. He picks upon trivial details such as whether Margaret's snack bar will serve milk instead of juices, and when someone else is speaking, he sulks and pouts and turns his attention to the wall behind him. It is a very believable interpretation of the part.
Dan Lett plays the second judge, Erhardt. He is excellent as the flamboyant poseur, preoccupied with trying to decipher Margaret's body language in sexual terms. Every time he opens his mouth, he releases a torrent of non sequiturs, covering Freudian Theories and Gestalt Psychology, laced with racial slurs directed at Margaret.
David Jansen has improved considerably since I last saw him in Down Dangerous Passes Road. He is quite convincing as he demonstrates his faith in Margaret, but his efforts to support her merely turn the two dinosaurs against him.
Finally, we come to M.J. Kang as the tortured architect-to-be. She is devastated by the unfair and unbridled criticism being leveled against her. Eventually she reaches her limit of patience which she demonstrates in no uncertain terms at the end of the play. However, sometimes she doesn't speak as clearly as she should, and the impact of her arguments is lessened.
Alisa Palmer has directed the quartette of actors and given them lots of room to maximize the effectiveness of their delivery as well as some delightful visual moments. Judith Bowden has given us another excellent setting, complete with rain pattering on the windows.
An interesting and thought-provoking play, well worth a visit.


Private Jokes, Public Places is playing at the Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace at 30 Bridgman Avenue, until October 24. Tickets are available by calling 426.531.1827.

Publication Date: 2004-10-10
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4498