Romeo Dallaire bares his heart and mind in 'Waiting For First Light', his memoir of living with PTSD

Retired General Romeo Dallaire’s brutally honest memoir recounting his two decades long battle with PTSD is mercifully slim, just 184 pages. Mercifully because "Waiting For First Light", published by Random House Canada, is a harrowing read. 

Gen. Dallaire was the commander-in-chief of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Rwanda during the 100 day genocide in 1994. 800,000 were slaughtered. Dallaire was under orders to not intervene but he defied the command to protect those seeking safety in the UN compound. He is credited with saving 40,000 lives but for twenty-two years he has lived with the guilt of his and the world’s inactions. Like the mythological Sisyphus, Dallaire is condemned to relive his time in the east African country over and over again. He is reminded constantly of the horrors he witnessed.

He self-medicated his trauma with alcohol; there were several suicide attempts and subsequent therapy sessions. But mostly he dealt with the PTSD by delving deep into his labours, much of it voluntary, from early in the morning until dawn the next day, staving of the nightmares, waiting for first light when he could sleep, perhaps, for a time.

While the purpose of the work was to preoccupy his mind the work itself was purposeful and important. He founded The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. He wrote two award-winning books “Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children” and “Shake Hands with the Devil: The failure of humanity in Rwanda”. He was appointed a senator and he became also an outspoken advocate for soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This book is part of that speaking out.

PTSD is a hidden injury, in a way a wound not even considered an injury but more of a symptom of the soldier’s unfitness for the theatre of war.  As war becomes more and more personal it is an injury on the rise. 

When Dallaire’s workload lessened he would walk at night through darkened parks and laneways, hoping to be robbed and murdered. Such a death would be deemed more honourable he thought for a career soldier than by his own hand. Although he did attempt suicide Dallaire credits his ineptitude at that task as the main reason he is still alive.

Alive perhaps but not living. By the end of the book we realize all has changed, changed utterly for him. Dallaire lost his own life in the genocide. He went in and he never came back. His wife and his children have lived with the loss, as have his friends and his assistants. His PTSD impacts them all and it is a further tragedy that the genocide continues to maim and claim victims, so many years after. 

I suspect Lieutenant-General the Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, O.C., C.M.M., G.O.Q., M.S.C., C.D., (retired) has managed so far because he is just that, an honourable man. He has fought his own demons, he continues fighting them, because, regardless of what he witnessed, he hasn’t given up on humanity yet. His hope by telling his story perhaps, is that we have given up on him either. And we haven’t.

Listen to Carol Off speak with Romeo Dallaire on the CBC radio show As It Happens

In “The Wars” Timothy Findley also wrote of war inflicted PTSD. I would suggest it as a companion read to Dallaire’s demanding but rewarding story.

Joe Szek enjoyed his time at 'Jenny's House of Joy', presented by Northumberland Players

Jenny's House of Joy by Norm Foster
Produced by Jack Boyagian and directed by John Lunman
Presented by the Northumberland Players, October 28, 29, 30, November 4, 5 and 6 

What is it about Norm Foster plays and their performances in a dinner theatre?  So often, these groups like to rely on our highly regarded Canadian playwright because he creates believable, real life people who reveal their quirks and weaknesses.  Dinner theatre audiences want laughter, and that is a good thing for those of us who want to be entertained plus enjoy a good buffet meal.  I have no hesitation to plug the dinner at the Best Western in Cobourg as my roast beef and Yorkshire pudding were delicious.

In a number of his plays, Mr. Foster places his characters in uproarious and hilarious situations while not being afraid to create poignancy only a few moments later.  The Northumberland Players’ production of Jenny's House of Joy, now in production at the Best Western Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre, is a delightful play that I did not know he had written.  Directed with care and respect by John Lunman, this story of the lives of women in a Cattle town Kansas brothel in 1871 is funny, touching and sad.  

I’m not a fan when a production breaks the fourth wall with the audience, especially when the performance is about to begin.  In this Best Western dinner theatre setting, it was necessary for Jenny’s girls to introduce themselves to the audience and to make you feel comfortable.  Two things about this play and this production have impressed me: a male playwright has created vibrant female characters, and a male director and producer have cast five talented and beautiful ladies who have gelled so naturally on the stage that, at times, I stopped making notes so I could watch the story unfold before me.

We meet the witty owner of the brothel, Jenny (charmingly played by Jody Legerwood) and two of her ‘girls’, the naïve and sweet Anita (an engaging performance by Amber Vibert) and the worldly brash and bold Frances (a saucy and smart performance by Heather Sessions).  We also meet Clara (Anne Marie Bouthillette), a minor character who becomes a scorned woman on matters that become apparent as the story progresses.  Ms. Bouthillette handles this dramatic moment with focused intensity.  Then there is Natalie (a nuanced performance by Rachel Downey) who yearns to escape from an abusive relationship and arrives at Jenny’s bordello and will do any work in order to have a second chance at life.  What unfolds in Natalie’s life in the second act becomes one of the major foci of the story.  In listening to the women’s voices, each successfully maintains a slight, Western drawl without it dangerously becoming a caricature.

Given some of the recent misogynistic comments by Donald Trump in the presidential race, I wondered if Jenny's House of Joy might make an audience feel uncomfortable.  From what I could see, this didn’t seem to bother anyone in this packed Cobourg venue.  The sexual word play and innuendo (keep an eye out for the hot dog) in the context of the scene were amusing but never veered into the vulgar.

Since I had never seen the performance space at this Cobourg venue, I was amazed at the size of the stage.  Bravo to producer Jack Boyagain and Stage Managers Lynne Templer and Rebecca Sumners for their work in organizing key individuals to create a feast for the eyes.  Ken Forsyth’s set design was fluid and allowed for unobstructed entrances and exits.  John Forder and his team have sturdily constructed and angled the set in such a way that the action of the play could be seen from any sight lines in the auditorium.  Lighting design by Tim Russell and his team was effective.   Jody Forsyth and her team of set dressers and Linda Cardie’s props have painstakingly worked hours to create the rust coloured atmosphere of the brothel complete with reminders that we are in the old west of 1870 -  the sheen of the woodwork on the walls and the bar and the ‘scantily clad’ paintings of half dressed ‘soiled dove’ women are just two prime examples.  Even the auditorium chandeliers became an effective prop in the sitting room.  Costumes by Lisa Schnalzer-Missen and her team of seamstresses have created exquisite and stunning costumes of colour, frills and lace especially in the bloomers for each of the women.  Alyssa England’s makeup and Muriel White’s hair designs created unique and five separate mystiques.

As with live productions of any nature, the sound design can sometimes pose problems.  The selected music pieces to set the mood and to help in the scene changes worked beautifully.  Sometimes sound feedback can pose problems as it did in the opening of Act 2; however, these talented performers remained professional and diligent and continued without missing a beat or line as the crew worked diligently, quickly and quietly as possible without disturbing the audience’s interest.

The Northumberland Players are celebrating their 40th season this year and their slate for 2016-2017 is something that I would like to check out.  Go see Jenny's House of Joy and have dinner before hand.  The girls will be glad to see you.

Jenny's House of Joy continues October 28, 29 and 30, November 4, 5 and 6 at the Best Western Inn and Convention Centre in Cobourg, 930 Burnham Street in Cobourg.  Dinner and show tickets may be purchased by calling 905-372-2210 or 1-855-372-2210.  For further information, please visit www.northumberlandplayers.ca. 

Joe Szek says August: Osage County is hot, two local theatre groups take it on

AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY
BORELIANS COMMUNITY THEATRE
Produced by Kyle Brough and Directed by Helen Coughlin

I have always respected the work of The Borelians of Port Perry and the Whitby Courthouse Theatre, and I was uncertain whether or not I should complete commentaries on both performances of Tracey Letts’ AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY since I consider many of the actors and crew in both productions friends and colleagues. 

I re-considered after encouragement from others to look upon this opportunity as a personal growth in a writing exercise.  I always invite discussion about the local arts scene.  As local actors, artists, musicians and ‘techies’, we have to promote our Arts culture and keep it alive ourselves.  Long gone are those days where a reporter from any local press used to arrive opening night because it ain’t gonna happen anymore.  With this focus, I set out to see the Borelians’ astonishing production of this Pulitzer Prize winning play. The Whitby Courthouse Theatre’s production is slated to open in November.

 It’s humid and August hot in Osage County, Oklahoma.  When the family patriarch (a knockout delivery first scene by Howard Linscott) vanishes, the Weston family returns home to care for their foul-mouthed, drug-addicted matriarch, Violet (valiantly played by Ruth Smith) who is battling mouth cancer.  Add to this mixture the backstabbing, the secrets and lies of the Weston offspring and their significant others.  Envelope this maelstrom in the abstract, black curtained windows of a multi level set design complete with oppressive, sticky heat of the non air-conditioned house, and we can’t help but wonder when this powder keg will explode.  At times, these characters are hateful, hurtful, and mean and we don’t like them.  And yet, I wanted to see what was going to happen to each of them next.  

Clearly, this play is not an easy one to stage for its multitudinous layers of plot intricacies and adult emotional depth; nevertheless, in her Program Notes, Director Helen Coughlin recognizes this award winning play was a tremendous undertaking.  Her hunches, along with those of Producer Kyle Brough, have paid off.  This production has enormous dedication and professional excellence. Its worth attending.

Nothing is held back in this 2 hour and 45 minute roller coaster upheaval of a journey to tell the truth, and this cast has been well rehearsed to make us feel uncomfortable thanks to Mrs. Coughlin’s intuitive and heightened direction. Annette Stokes, Lanie Anderson and Carolyn Goff, as the Weston sisters, have the skilled and honed acting chops to create in your face bitchy and spiteful siblings who, at times, show us they are hurting individuals.  The sisters’ varied men in their lives (admirable performances by Michael Serres, and Colin Murphy) reveal further secrets that make us feel uncomfortable, especially in light of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s misogynistic views about women. Thrown into this mixture are Violet’s sister, Mattie Fae Aiken (an impressive performance by Marlo Alcock) and her doormat husband, Charlie Aiken (solid performance by Lyle Corrigan who garnered applause in the second act when he stands up to his wife).  As Sheriff Deon Gilbreau, Lorenz Workmeister offers some strength of character to Violet’s daughter, Barbara, especially in the second act when her world begins to unravel further.  Nevertheless, we see a side to the sheriff that continues to add tension to the Weston family.

We can’t forget the younger members who are thrown into this bubbling cauldron of hostility.  Justine Dickie, as Barbara and Bill Fordham’s daughter, Jean, tackles two of the most uncomfortable scenes in the play with heightened awareness and centered vulnerability.  The young Cheyenne housekeeper Johnna Monevata, (a promising performance by Isabelle Blanusa) becomes the listener we all need in our lives when we experience emotional turmoil.  As Little Charles Aiken, Chris Gaudet’s perceptive performance drew gasps from the audience when his ‘true’ secret is revealed.

Much of the dialogue is razor-sharped and biting with daggers of expletives flying in every direction, and this cast handles the continuity expertly.   At times, you will find yourself laughing out loud at how bizarre the events begin to unfold.  The dinner scene that opens Act 2 was thrilling to watch as the cast has captured believably large family gathered dinners where we hear the various overheard snippets of conversation simultaneously, and yet we can’t remember any of these conversations since so much was said.  There are moments of tenderness in this production from all performers; however it is those times, especially between the terminally ill and scared Violet and her daughters, where our hearts ache for these misfits who are beyond dysfunctional.  

In her Program Notes, Helen Coughlin writes that tackling a play of this grandeur pushes the envelope in many directions as a challenge is set for every actor, lighting, sound, costume, set designers and decorators and for the producer and director.  The Borelians continue to set the bar high and push the envelope as this is what live theatre challenges all of us to do – to think, to react, to feel, to live and to breathe another life if only for a few hours. 

Make sure you get to see this production of August: Osage County in Port Perry.  I also ask that you go see Whitby Courthouse Theatre’s production in November.  And then, let’s talk. . . .  Ok, WCT, you’re up next.

The Borelians’ production of August: Osage County runs Thursday October 20 – Saturday October 22 at 8:00 pm.  There is a matinee October 22 at 2:00 pm.  Tickets may be purchased at the box office at the Port Perry Town Hall, 45 Queen Street East or order online at www.borelians.ca.  For further information visit the website or call 905-985-8181.

Artist Jay Dart vaults in to the Robert McLaughlin Gallery Oct 7

SlowCity.ca is one in a series of social practise art projects I have engaged in over many years, SlowCity.ca, along with The Vault creative space, Ziggy Pop new music nights at the Hub, the Woolly Tuque fanzine for Durham based alt-culture, are the main ones but the FitzAllsorts new music night in Whitby, the McLuhan Cafe gatherings to discuss art, and The Shwaltz of course, a festival for local original music, can be listed alongside them also. One never knows what impact one has or what ripples results from one's endeavours but occasionally one hears good things about the work one has created and the other works it has helped influence or nurture. 

Jay Dart’s solo exhibit, “Greetings From Yawnder!” opens Friday Oct 7 at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. The RMG show is the first in Dart’s self-described world tour which also makes a stop at Art Gallery of Sudbury Feb 3 2017. The RMG show runs until Jan 15, 2017.

Dart says the genesis for the exhibit was a show at one of the social practise spaces myself and others in Oshawa’s art community had created.

“I’ll tell you exactly where my relationship with RMG began. . . The Vault!,” says Dart,  “(associate curator) Sonya Jones saw my work there and then contacted me. She offered me this solo exhibition two and a half years ago. It's the most amazing opportunity that I've had. There are about 80 pieces in the show. Half are brand new. Some will be featured in the 'Field Guide to Yawnder' that has been produced for the show. There are lots of highlights from the past (almost) decade of doing this series. I'm pretty excited, especially having it in my adopted community.”

Oshawa is my adopted community too and it pleases me no end when I can contribute to the growth of its arts and culture in some way.

It was the art of Jay Dart that spoke to Sonya Jones, Dart’s art speaks for itself, its wonderous and relevant, but I think the tale of their meeting speaks too to the ongoing need for the kind of spaces where serendipitous relationships can form and new opportunities for our creatives can be forged. For now RMG Fridays provide the casual meet-up of the arts community at large, we still however need more of them in Durham Region, and in Oshawa in particular.

Joe's latest look inside - Steve Martin's Underpants, now on at OLT

The Underpants
Produced by Cathy Partridge, Directed by Chris Francom 

THE UNDERPANTS,  written by comedy legend Steve Martin, opened September 29 at the Oshawa Little Theatre.  It is one hell of a cleverly written nonsensical tale that requires actors who must trust each other implicitly in order to make this show soar high. 

Under the confident hands of Director Chris Francom and Producer Cathy Partridge, all members of the production team have staged successfully a hilarious, ribald comedy in every sense of the word through the use of  burlesque, farce and bawd.  You have to pay attention to every single word in order to get so many of the references.  Thankfully, at the opening night performance, each actor could be heard which is a bonus if this gem is to unravel at breakneck speed.  Although the play is meant to be performed with no intermission, this production places a suitable twenty minute break while still managing to pick up the pace immediately following. 

It is Dusseldorf, 1910 where, horror upon horrors, a very public wardrobe malfunction has occurred.  Louise Maske's underpants fall down at a parade for the King which becomes the talk of the town.  Amidst all of this confusion for the young woman, we also have sexual innuendo mixed in with verbal wordplay combined with the pressures of instant fame.   

As producer, I'm sure Cathy Partridge has breathed a sigh of relief in understanding that it is her job to know every element of this period piece came together.  And it does, magnificently.   To stage period pieces in community theatre is quite the challenge from a budgetary perspective, and this production's set catches the eye as soon as you enter the theatre. 

Chris Francom has a keen eye for design.  He has captured a highly functional and spacious boarding house and living room complete with many doors common in farce for people to exit and enter quickly.  Elizabeth Allen's lighting design is subtle and allows the audience to see the action in every corner of the stage.  Kudos to all crew involved in finding an authentic looking stove and icebox from the early 1900s.   

As always, OLT's standard in costume design is stellar, and Brenda Clarkson's and Cynthia Garland's work does not disappoint whatsoever.  Makeup and hair design by Donna Lajeunesse evoke nicely the turn of the twentieth century, a time of change in many areas.  Finally, a congratulatory note to Cheryl Van Vliet as Stage Manager who holds the daunting task to ensure everyone and everything is in its proper place. 

As Louise and Theo Maske, Jennie Archambault and Garret Lee are a riot from their opening sexist dialogue.  To handle and to hold this well timed banter required a great deal of skill, and both actors appear comfortable in tackling this challenge from the get go. 

Jane HIckey deliciously plays the nosy sexpot neighbour, Gertride Deuter, with fine aplomb.  Josh Sanger, as the dashing, debonair and 'full of himself' Frank Versati, devilishly seduces both Louise and the audience with great assurance, especially in the moment where Louise must cool herself off in the icebox after this young man's advances.  Lincoln Trudeau's performance of the sickly Benjamin Cohen is hysterical.  It was wonderful to see community theatre veterans Alan Nichols and David Cooke back on the stage as Klinglehoff and The King.  Their solid performances further added to the side splitting laughter of the opening night audience. 

It was a wise choice to open the 2016-2017 season with the selection of a fine comedy.  I hadn't read the script so I had no idea what I was going to experience, and I was not disappointed in the least.  Performances of THE UNDERPANTS continue October 1, 6-8, 13 – 15 at 8 pm with a 2 pm matinee on October 9.  Tickets may be purchased at the door.