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<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><b style><span style="color:black">LILIES,
a tale of misguided love at convergence continuum </span></b></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">(Member, American Theatre Critics
Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">French Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchards LILIES,
with the subtitle the Revival of a Romantic Drama, <span style> </span>is a moralistic melodrama which is now in production at convergence-continuum.<span style> </span>The authors best known work, it was
recognized in 1992 as the best Canadian play.<span style> </span>It was transformed into the movie LILIES, which won the
Genie (the equivalent of the American Oscar) for the best film of 1996.</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">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. <span style> </span>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, Simons male lover.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">In acting out the happenings, Simon is hoping that
Bilodeau will confess his role in Valliers demise, which resulted in Simons
wrongful imprisonment.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">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. </span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">The play, typical of much gay theater, tells a morally
simplistic story in overwrought terms.<span style>
</span>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.<span style>
</span>The many town folk are stereotypically homophobic, causing the plot to
evolve.<span style> </span>There is no surprise
ending as the outcome is obvious from the start. <span style> </span>It includes the almost obligatory full frontal male nude scene.
</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">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.</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">Con-cons production, under the direction of Tyson
Douglas Rand, is true to the intent of the script.<span style> </span>Rand keeps the cast under control, making sure the males who
play females arent overly flamboyant in their approaches, and makes the
characters as rational as the script allows.</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">Both Bobby Coyne (young Simon) and Jack Matuszewski (young
Vallier) create appealing characters.<span style>
</span>They have a nice sensual connection.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">Clyde Simon controls the tendency to be overwrought and
affected as psychotic Countess de Tilly and creates a sympathetic character. <span style> </span>Though he has a tendency to be overly
effeminate, Eric Sever develops the younger Bilodeau into a despicable jealous and
revengeful teenager.<span style> </span>The rest of
the cast is effective.</span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia;color:rgb(26,26,26)"></span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia;color:rgb(26,26,26)"> </span>
</p><p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><i style><span style="color:black">Capsule
Judgement: LILIES is the type of script that should appeal to con-cons niche
audience.<span style> </span>The production works
well in the small intimate theatre and is nicely directed by Tyson Douglas
Rand. </span></i><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia;color:rgb(26,26,26)"></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">LILIES runs through November 2 at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays at convergence-continuums artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438
Scranton Rd. in Clevelands Tremont neighborhood. For information and
reservations call 216-687-0074.</span></p><p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,255)"></span></span></p><p class="" style="text-autospace:none">
<br><span style="color:black"></span></p><p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black"><br></span></p>
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