[NEohioPAL] Berko review: LILIES @ convergence-continuum

[Roy Berko]

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*LILIES, a tale of misguided love at convergence continuum *

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

French Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchard’s LILIES, with the subtitle
“the Revival of a Romantic Drama,”  is a moralistic melodrama which is now
in production at convergence-continuum.  The author’s best known work, it
was recognized in 1992 as the best Canadian play.  It was transformed into
the movie LILIES, which won the Genie (the equivalent of the American
Oscar) for the best film of 1996.

Set in 1952, in the church of a prison where the jailed Simon Doucet has
requested his boyhood friend, Jean Bilodeau, who is now a Bishop, come to
hear his confession.  In reality, what Bilodeau is to participate in, is a
re-enactment of an event that took place on an Autumn evening in 1912, when
Bilodeau caused the death of Count Vallier De Tilly, Simon’s male lover.

In acting out the happenings, Simon is hoping that Bilodeau will confess
his role in Vallier’s demise, which resulted in Simon’s wrongful
imprisonment.

The play within the play, and the play, itself, comes to a climax which, as
in most melodramas, allows for the “bad guy” to come to some level of
awareness and repent.

The play, typical of much gay theater, tells a morally simplistic story in
overwrought terms.  Simon and Vallier, as the gay young lovers, are meant
to be interesting, because they are going against the grain of socially
acceptable manners of the day, not because they are fascinating people.  The
many town folk are stereotypically homophobic, causing the plot to
evolve.  There
is no surprise ending as the outcome is obvious from the start.  It
includes the almost obligatory full frontal male nude scene.

The format of the play forces men to take the parts of the women, as the
only actors available are the prison inmates, and younger actors to portray
the roles of Simon, Bilodeau and Vallier, as youth.

Con-con’s production, under the direction of Tyson Douglas Rand, is true to
the intent of the script.  Rand keeps the cast under control, making sure
the males who play females aren’t overly flamboyant in their approaches,
and makes the characters as rational as the script allows.

Both Bobby Coyne (young Simon) and Jack Matuszewski (young Vallier) create
appealing characters.  They have a nice sensual connection.

Clyde Simon controls the tendency to be overwrought and affected as
psychotic Countess de Tilly and creates a sympathetic character.  Though he
has a tendency to be overly effeminate, Eric Sever develops the younger
Bilodeau into a despicable jealous and revengeful teenager.  The rest of
the cast is effective.

*Capsule Judgement: LILIES is the type of script that should appeal to
con-cons niche audience.  The production works well in the small intimate
theatre and is nicely directed by Tyson Douglas Rand. *

LILIES runs through November 2 at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at
convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438 Scranton Rd. in
Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. For information and reservations call
216-687-0074.

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