Ryan Hollyman, Makram Ayache, and Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski in The Hooves Belonged to the Deer – Tarragon Theatre 2023 – Picture by Cylla von Tiedeman.
As written within the purple sands of time, this story of affection in opposition to the chances finds weight and energy inside its structured and hypnotic layerings, Made up of fantastical renderings about faith and queerness, the set unfolds, wealthy in colour and lightweight, ignited by a shot into the darkness because the proficient solid enters and awaits their second to shine. Spotlighting a deer’s head on the wall, the profound magical house is superbly crafted with abstractionistic relevance by set & costume designer Anahita Dehbonehie (Soulpepper/Segal Centre’s English), with intensely participating lighting by Whittyn Jason (Theatre Calgary’s Little Girls), and a stable sound design by Chris Pereira (The Citadel Theatre’s Rochdale). It tightens its grip on our senses from the primary flood of knowledge to the epic conclusion that washes and desires. It performs with our senses at each angle, asking essential questions on god and its tight maintain over the way in which we love and settle for others.
It’s the starting; of mankind, and of a love that’s surging ahead on account of that “acquainted look in your eyes.” It grows forth, sturdy and sophisticated, in a small prairie city between two younger males, in opposition to a backdrop of oppression, self-loathing, strict spiritual fervor, and the arduous treacherous path by the desert in direction of self-love and acceptance. “Man created god,” we’re advised, after which capitalized and weaponized the formulation. It’s a putting assertion, that feels totally true, but principally denied by all who wish to enfold and enlist. And nobody feels it extra conflictual than Izzy, portrayed with touching character and angst by the playwright and actor, Makram Ayache (In Arms Theatre Collective’s Harun). That is very true when he seems into the eyes of his greatest good friend, Will, powerfully portrayed by the charming Eric Wigston (Vertigo Theatre’s The Extractionist). “I feel I like him,” he unwillingly unveils, whereas questioning himself and voicing his involved inner perception that he is likely to be “the worst Muslim there’s.” There’s an existential collision of types, out within the fields with Will, between the half that feels the highly effective pull of affection and connection, and the opposite half that sends him spiraling into the questionable realm of Evangelical Pastor Isaac, captivatingly portrayed by Ryan Hollyman (Manufacturing unit’s Amongst Males). It’s there the place we see how disgrace can unfold and infect, the place hate and love are so intertwined that marked unhappiness envelopes all that come earlier than him.
“Child woman, it’s effective, (don’t name me child woman!).” However Izzy doesn’t cease his “lugubrious” inquisition there. He dives deep into his unconsciousness, igniting a fantastical journey into the Genesis of all creation. By means of the intensely clever and emotional writing of Ayache, his character conjures forth a paradigm; a modernized dimension that comprises a determined Hawa, performed with supreme depth by the fantastic Bahareh Yaraghi (Mirvish/RMTC’s A Doll’s Home, Part2) and her associate, Aadam, superbly portrayed by Noor Hamdi (LCT’s The Pores and skin of Our Tooth), who’s rib, supposedly, she was created from. Their existence, someplace deep inside Izzy’s inner realm, playfully unspools the traditional story of the primary couple of the Quran, with hilarious abstractionisms scripted in, made up of voicemail messages left by the symbolic Eve, anxious and craving for her distracted Adam, as he wanders by the desert exploring and on the lookout for a freedom he can’t fairly identify. The play digs into their attachment and disconnection, taking part in most brilliantly on frameworks that revolve round attraction and what our specific our bodies are made for and drawn to. Then, in an act of playful subversion, The Hooves… throws in a visually and erotically interesting light-skinned warrior from the North fairly ingeniously named Steve, performed splendidly by the very interesting Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski (Dauntless Metropolis Theatre’s Love’s Labours Misplaced), giving off a Jesus-on-a-cross vibe that may’t be ignored. Nor ought to we, nor would Aadam wish to.
The layers begin to captivatingly converge and overlap, participating with each other whereas taking part in with the concepts of sin and the steep upward climb towards temptation that pulls on all. Pastor Isaac begins to push his Christian components for salvation ahead, on, and towards the confused, anxious Izzy, pressuring and weighing him down, whereas additionally participating from a twisted place of heat and love. But, we hear the undercurrent of hate, blended with the beliefs of the church, spreading disgrace into each pore of Izzy’s being, whereas systematically disregarding the younger man’s personal spiritual beliefs. Isaac sells Christianity as if it’s the solely approach, virtually desperately, a coding that causes my pores and skin to itch. “Feels like a cult,” Will, like all good heroes, objectively suggests, and personally, I couldn’t agree extra.
In the meantime, again within the Backyard of Eden, Steve begins to entwine, overtake, and enthrall Aadam, with the anxious Eve/Hawa standing by nervously and intelligently watching. The characters illuminate the battle, but additionally tackle symbolically adjoining roles in Izzy’s actual here-and-now world, like Shepherd-Gawinski’s Jake, the troubled son of Pastor Isaac and his old flame, Lilith. It’s a compelling identify to casually fling out (and I hope I obtained it proper), as Lilith is cited in rabbinic literature as having been ‘banished’ from the Backyard of Eden for not complying with and obeying Adam. She’s additionally depicted as created from the identical soil as Adam (not his rib like Eve) and is the mom of Adam’s demonic offspring.
The framework sizzles, including a layering to Jake that resonates in methods which can be virtually an excessive amount of to comprise, particularly as soon as we notice why Jake isn’t round initially of this story. We’re additionally gifted with Yaraghi as the brand new spouse of the Pastor, Rebecca, who desires nothing to do along with his troublesome son from a special mom. We additionally come to know Hamdi because the wild homosexual man from Calgary (the NYC of Alberta), Reza who befriends Izzy (and Will) years later. he’s the symbolic moral slut coming along with the pair after a strong, mental speech given by Izzy on all that’s being unpacked right here. It’s a colossally charged layering that frequently elevates us up the ladder, whereas concurrently throwing us deep into the purple sand, the place time and actuality begin to bend and twist the additional this piece takes us. Every of the actors excels, majestically rising up sturdy and with depth and readability, reconciling a number of identities and formulations that wrestle arduous in opposition to the burden and oppression of disgrace.
“All that disgrace doesn’t belong to us,” we’re advised (considered one of my favourite traces and moments of many), and because the solid, guided by the magnificence of director Peter Hinton-Davis (Tarragon’s The Millennial Malcontent), with an help by Michelle Mohammad (Coal Mine Theatre’s Yerma), wind their approach by the issues and intensities of coming to phrases with themselves and the damages carried out by the oppression of organized faith, the play unfolds the layers and chapters with dedication and beauty. The formulations get a bit muddled and complicated as Hawa wades into the water close to the tip of this beautiful play, cleaning herself from what has introduced such ache into existence. But, we are able to’t assist however be moved by the spectacular journey we’ve been taken on by Ayache and The Hooves Belongs to the Deer. It’s gigantic, sensible, and intense, forcing strongly felt concepts ahead, typically playfully, and typically with a robust grasp of their significance and deep emotional which means. And with my companion unpacking only a few connections to the Bible, I discovered myself sinking much more deeply into the compelling and complicated purple sand, comfortable to go on this journey and grateful for the unpacking that’s required.
Originally posted 2023-04-16 04:03:30.