AURASH translated and adapted by Soheil Parsa and Brian Quirt (Modern Times). At Young Centre for the Performing Arts (55 Mill). To May 29. $12-$28. 416-866-8666. See Listing. Rating: NNN
After more than 20 years of bringing a lively mix of classic, contemporary and Persian-themed theatre to Toronto and international audiences, Soheil Parsa and his Modern Times company return to Aurash, a play they first performed locally in 1998 and later toured to political hot spots in Cuba, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.[rssbreak]
Adapted by Parsa and Brian Quirt from an ancient Persian legend, the story follows Aurash (Michelle Latimer), a simple stableman whose people have just lost a terrible war. The tyrannical king of the victorious army (Martin Julien) chooses Aurash to ascend to the top of a nearby mountain and fire an arrow where the arrow falls will determine the new border of his subjugated people’s land. With no archery skills, or any heroic delusions, Aurash bears the full psychological weight of this task while preparing to fire the fateful shot.
The parable is rendered very symbolically, with minimal props, and the cast of four switch through a variety of underdeveloped roles. This pushes the play’s important political message about the artificial and arbitrary nature of national borders to the foreground in the style of Brechtian epic theatre.
Parsa keeps the show’s action moving briskly, but sections of dialogue are sometimes rushed. Much better – and more engaging – are moments when the cast advance the plot through storytelling.
The production also benefits from Richard Feren’s intense sound design and the inventive, rapid-fire lighting transitions by Andrea Lundy, both of which are used to great effect during the play’s vivid opening moments.
