SCORCHED by Wajdi Mouawad (Tarragon). To June 27. $15-$45. 416-531-1827. See listing. Rating: NNNNN
Scorched, by Lebanese-born, Montreal-based playwright Wajdi Mouawad, is receiving its second remount at the Tarragon, and with good reason. The classic-in-the-making is certainly nuanced, riveting and profound enough to deserve a second or third viewing.
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The narrative begins with twins Simon (Fabrizio Filippo) and Janine (Sophie Goulet) grappling with the death of their secretive mother, Nawal, and the mysterious mission she leaves them in her will. Clues spur an obsessive investigation that takes the twins from Montreal to Nawal’s birthplace in the Middle East, where they uncover a whole hidden history – with a gut-wrenching twist.
As the twins unravel the violent and harrowing threads of their mother’s veiled past, Mouawad expertly weaves in scenes from Nawal’s life (she’s played at different ages by Janick Hébert, Allegra Fulton and Diana Leblanc), from her Muslim childhood to her old age in Canada.
As the plot unfolds, the two storylines begin to occupy the same physical space. By telescoping temporal and physical distances, director Richard Rose creates a wonderful dramatic effect. Actions and sound effects from both timelines bleed together, producing clever and thought-provoking double meanings.
The first of many engaging elements is the sand-filled set, anchored by a metal office desk sunk into a dune. Designer Graeme S. Thomson evokes the story’s transnational and trans-generational arcs while presenting a stunning visual that functions both symbolically and realistically.
Though the story plays out against the timely backdrop of Middle East strife, Mouwad is smart to operate on a level above specific politics. No Arab countries or political entities are explicitly named. The result is a haunting, universal parable about the cyclical nature of violence and war.
A hard-hitting must-see.
