BY WGO STAFF
Inspired by one of the most sensational trials of the 1920s, Machinal, by Sophie Treadwell, shattered the American tabloid image of a “ruthless murderess” and replaced it with a moving theatrical parable of a young woman trapped in an automated, materialistic society. All her senses are assaulted in this incessantly noisy, claustrophobic prison. No one listens to her. Everything conspires to prevent her own voice being heard. Yet Treadwell’s strikingly visual masterpiece uses unsentimental, subversive, cliché-packed dialogue (of the sort “invented” decades later by Harold Pinter and David Mamet) to express the life of a woman who keeps insisting: “I’ll not submit. I’ll not submit.” And never does.
“I find Machinal (the French word for ‘mechanical’ or ‘automatic’) irresistible,” says Director, Rod Nichols. “As a social activist and war reporter (Mexican Revolutionary War and World War 1), Sophie Treadwell knew all about the in-your-face violence the media loves to bombard us with,” he explains. “As a playwright, however, she explored the insidious violence exercised by the language, technology and life-style of a consumer society on steroids. What price is one young woman willing to pay to escape? To find love and freedom? I want Machinal to be a stylish, entertaining, and deeply moving theatrical Valentine’s gift for thinking adults.”
Machinal will run from February 12 -16 at 7 pm and on February 17 at 2pm. Written by Sophie Treadwell and directed by Rod Nicholls, the production will star Lindsay Thompson.
Tickets will go on sale February 4, with the box office open one week prior to performances and during the week of performances with hours from 1 pm – 5 pm, Monday to Friday. General seating for all plays. Tickets are $20.00 general and $10.00 students and seniors.
February 12 is Pay What You Can Night where admission is by cash donation or non-perishable food items for the CBU Student Food Bank. Talk Back Night is February 15, where he audience is invited to stay after the play to meet and chat with the cast and crew.
For more information or to purchase tickets call 902-563-1652 or visit www.cbu.ca/boardmore.
