Abby Elizabeth Schachter for Curtains Up
By Johnna Adams
Presented by The Waterworks Company
Performed by : Sherry Chen (Corryn Fell) and Tara Bissett (Heather Clark)
Georges-Vanier Cultural Center
Johnna Adams play ‘Gideon’s Knot’ is a story we’ve seen and heard time and again. The narrative combines themes of past and present to demonstrate that history does indeed repeat itself. Although the context may change, the core issues remain the same. Rebellion, Societal pressures, nonacceptance, individuality and free will.
The plays title is obviously influenced by the Midas fable ‘Gordeon’s Knot.’ A legend about the ills of an internal and a seemingly irreversible problem. A knot that can not be undone. The myth is about a king who made a knot that was impossible to untie. The legend said that the man who could untie the knot would one day be the King of the land. For years people were stumped by the impossible knot. Until one day a man called Alexander the Great rides into town and unlike all the men before him, does not try to unbind the knot but instead removes the pin holding it together and ultimately unravels the knot by ‘cheating’ the system. Another version states that he sliced through the knot with his sword. Either way, his solution stems from thinking outside the box and taking drastic ‘simplistic’ action. An easy way out. The myth created a dialog among a renowned and diverse group of intellectuals, writers, historians and philosophers. From Jean Paul Sartre to the likes of Stephen King.
Adams Play which is based around this ‘Midas knot’ theory, poses the question :how and why do certain people act in such extreme and illogical ways in periods of trouble. Are they unable to think clearly or is it the other way around? Do they become too clear headed? Are they so unclouded by their inner thoughts and societal reform that extremity becomes the simplest solution to their tangled web of problems. The knot is a metaphor for impulsive decisions and the ‘unforeseen’ consequences by the person who carries them out.
Adams smartly represents the theory through a physical setting; a elementary school classroom.
The class represents ‘the box’ and how anyone within the box must think accordingly and dare not step outside the bounds. A not so subtle look at our failing education system. Failing because it teaches and molds young people in accordance to a outdated /archaic method of thought: Fitting in, doing what is expected of you, following instruction and acting according to societal norms.
It’s nearly 2014, why are students still being taught the same thing their parents were taught in school? The play questions the school system and the people who are influencing our next generation of adults. Are they experienced enough to be molding our societies future? Is the world in nurturing and smart hands? Adams answer is a simple ‘no’ provoking the result of impact. One person can have a lifelong effect on another. She reminds us that as humans, we have this ability and need to be more aware of our actions and words. We never know who will be affected. Teachers more so than others, they must be fully aware of the responsibility handed to them.
The play opens with a teacher sitting, quietly crying at her desk. The classroom is completely empty. A woman( Sherry Chen) walks in and notifies the teacher ‘Ms. Clark'( played by Tara Bissett ) that she is Mrs. Corryn Fell, Gideon’s mother. She is ready for their parent teacher interview.
The first scene began with a somewhat rocky start. The overly dramatic elements were not in balance and both actresses seemed rushed, their dialog at times overlapping. However, after the first ten minutes both women got into the right flow of things and at times I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot I was watching a play. Although, there were other times throughout the course of the performance, in which I was coarsely reminded that I was part of an audience. The actresses, especially Sherry Chen ( who is exceptionally talented for a woman who only began acting for fun at the age of 40- this is only her second production) were not at fault for any of this. Direction wise, the scenes could have used less physical movements or ‘stage combat.’ In this scenario the actions did not speak louder than words, but rather distracted us from them. It was a bit much.
The story; Gidion’s knot is about an eleven year-old- boy ( Gideon) who for reasons unknown to his family, friends and school has committed suicide. His Mother Corryn, has decided to try and understand why he would take his own life. Who or what would drive him to such an extreme action. She figures that his school teacher Ms. Clark would likely know the answer.
We find out that Ms. Clark believed that Gidion was a trouble maker and liar. She also had suspended him over a creative writing assignment she deemed inappropriate and wrong. The audience slowly watches the mysterious ‘knot’ that was Gidion’s inner psyche unravel little by little. As mother and teacher argue and discuss their own actions, we began to slowly understand what led him down such a dark harrowing path in the first place. Gidion’s choice to end his life was his simple solution to what he believed was an inescapable problem. A knot that kept getting more and more tangled until he could not deal with it anymore and chose to sever it completely.
Was Ms. Clark’s perception of him intercepting his own beliefs? Did she have the power to make him believe that he was a bad, dumb and uncreative person? Or was he so opposed to her teachings and assumptions that he chose to rebel through extreme violence?
The main issue has a Holden Caulfield/Catcher in the Rye feel to it. A a young boy too smart for his own good becomes disillusioned by a nonsensical world. A society that caters to the status quo and celebrates the boredom that is normalcy. The fine line that borders genius and insanity, realism and perception reminds us that the world is a very confusing place, especially when you are young.
The issue of teen suicide is not a new one. Kids as young as Gidion ( age11) and younger are taking their own lives. Whether it is over bullying or issues at school and home, these youths feel like their only escape is death. Gidion’s knot tries to unravel the reasoning behind childhood suicide. What would drive a kid to do something like this? According to statistics Canada, suicide rates among pre adolescents have increased. Another worrisome factor is ‘suicide contagion.’ Apparently teens and pre-teens are more likely to take their own lives if someone they know has done so already. Bullying being one of the main factors in childhood and teen suicide.
Gidion’s knot is based around reality. It tells the age old story of secrets, lies and skeletons in closets but it also demonstrates how important it is to speak up. How often are we taught to keep quiet and follow orders without hesitation? Gidion’s knot reminds us that our voice is not a privilege it is our right and we can use it as often as we like. Repression is only a form of societal fear and the education system needs to reform itself completely so that our world can evolve and society flourish. The metaphor of Gordeon’s knot is meant to teach us about alternative ways of thought, there is a gray scale in the world and yet so many people only see black and white. The play however, reveals how people make their lives overly complex when in reality the scheme of it all is quite simple.
