Thy Woman’s Weeds is a captivating, funny, and very entertaining exploration of Shakespeare’s heroines and what they endured in service to a man’s story. There are lots of characters and references to the plays, but you don’t need an in-depth knowledge of The Bard to enjoy it. The outstanding cast of seven brilliant actresses bring energy, humour, and a passion that makes the show incredibly compelling.
The show portrays many vignettes from Shakespeare’s queens, lovers, and witches. It also jumps to the modern day as the actors prepare to audition, rehearse, and discuss the meaning of the plays. Yet the quicksilver shifts between characters and scenarios are not confusing. The changes in eras from the Elizabethan to the modern and back again, do not muddle the themes of women trying to take control of their power and agency. The many points of view capture the fallacy and tragedy of the female characters, and how they are demeaned not just on the page but also on the stage.
Cleopatra gives a blistering speech on how Shakespeare’s shallow portrayal of the Queen of Egypt influenced sexist modern depictions. Ophelia bravely declares the desires of her heart and to fight to free herself from the control of men. The characters mock the situations they are put in to prop up the silly men. They bemoan the exaggeration of women’s bodies, meant as “metaphor”, for the sake of entertainment. Yet the women crave meaty roles like Lear. In spite of being denied power, the plays have a depth that the women desire to express. While all of this may sound very morbid, the action switches to the actors putting their foot down, loudly casting off the stereotypes, and courageously standing up for the misunderstood heroines. The effect is very uplifting.
The costumes are fabulous; they are stories in themselves. The set is very multi-purpose as it transitions from the staging of the plays’ scenes to the backstage setting as the actors prepare for their performance. There are some inside jokes for the theatre lovers and Shakespeare nerds, including a death scene featuring a character from a very controversial (and very bloody) play. But the show will not go over the audiences’ heads.
Perhaps all the world is a stage. But who gets to play a part should not be denied the chance to explore our complicated humanity.
Photo Credit: Andrée Lanthier
Thy Woman’s Weeds. Written by Erin Shields. Directed by Amanda Kellock. Show continues to May 12, at the Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier, Old Montreal. For tickets call the box office at 514-288-3161 or go to www.centaurtheatre.com
