One of our teachers, Paul Howl, has done us proud by directing the play “Blackbird,” by David Harrower. Performed at the Trance Mission Theater in Sangubashi from September 22nd to 24th, “Blackbird” is a challenging play about a controversial and sensitive topic, childhood sexual exploitation. Gini Benson and Anton Percic offered compelling portrayals of the main characters, 27-year-old Una and 55-year-old Ray, who engaged in an illicit relationship with Una 15 years before when she was a 12-year-old girl. The somewhat disjointed dialog, and the necessity for fine-tuned emotional nuance, would have proven difficult for any actor or director, but the action of the play was executed in a riveting, adroit, and compassionate manner thanks to the skills of all involved.
Much to the credit of those responsible for the play, an announcement was made at its outset that the subject matter of the performance might trigger the traumatic memories of viewers, so TELL’s resources were highlighted in the event that that should turn out to be the case for some participants. In the lobby, resources from TELL were made available.
