Review: DAISY MAKES A WORTHY RETURN TO LIVE THEATRE AT THE GCTC

I was thrilled to attend Daisy at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, the first show to resume performances at that location after the global unplanned intermission of live theatre. I arrived about twenty minutes before curtain in anticipation of a lengthy wait to present my vaccine passport and identification. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the staff had a highly efficient process for verifying vaccination while simultaneously scanning electronic tickets. Part of the theatre-going experience often involves having a pre-performance drink at the bar, and, although the bar was open, few patrons partook of libations. This was likely because the lounge seating on the ground floor had been eliminated to process proof of vaccinations and the upstairs seating area was limited. Nonetheless, several people were chatting in the lounge area. I made my way to my assigned seats and saw that the theatre had implemented social distancing between seating groups. Before the performance began, the audience was welcomed back enthusiastically, accompanied by reminders to keep masks on throughout the performance and to stay in their assigned seats.

The GCTC's production of Ottawa-based playwright Sean Devine's Daisy was forced to close after only one performance when lockdown measures were taken in March of last year. Since then, Daisy feels even more relevant, despite its storyline taking place over fifty years ago. Daisy tells the true story of the controversial ad campaign surrounding Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential run in 1964. The attack ad that was created to support Johnson used fear marketing, playing on people's emotions to convince them that a vote for Johnson's rival, Barry Goldwater, would send America into nuclear war. Even though the Daisy spot only ran once, it changed the face of political advertising forever and, arguably, crossed an ethical line that could not be walked back. At the same time, the American government was taking important steps in the fight for civil rights, and in response, race riots exploded on American streets. It is hard not to draw parallels to the present-day environment in the U.S. - and in Canada, albeit to a lesser extent - and experience sadness that this tale could easily be set today, as so little has changed.

The characters, united in their task of creating an ad that will award Johnson a landslide victory over Goldwater, are vastly different from one another. The team at the Madison Avenue advertising agency, led by the gruff, no-nonsense partner of the firm, Bill Bernbach (Paul Rainville) is made up of Louise "Lou" Brown (Marion Day), Sid Myers (Brad Long) and Aaron Ehrlich (Geoff McBride). Day is convincing in her role as Louise, who is conflicted about working on an attack ad but, ultimately, lets her ambition to succeed in the male-dominated, dog-eat-dog world of advertising get the better of her. Long's Sid understands that this may be a once in a lifetime career opportunity that can catapult him to the next level and he is determined to be the team member that comes out on top. McBride's Aaron is a neurotic character, who is mostly there to supply comic relief, but also serves to remind the audience that the thought of nuclear warfare terrified the general population, and that this was the target audience for the Daisy ad. McBride plays on Aaron's idiosyncrasies to perfection. Tony Schwartz (Eric Coates, who also directs) is consulted by the team, as he is renowned for his expert use of sound and sound effects in advertising. Tony is agoraphobic and has difficulty leaving his house for more than a few blocks. The basis for the Daisy spot was Tony's brainchild; however, since he was not present at the pitch, Louise ends up getting most of the credit, not to mention the coveted promotion. Although the role of Tony must be challenging to portray, due to his eccentricities, Coates' delivers an excellent performance and makes the audience want to get to know and better understand this complex character.

White house lawyer, Clifford Lewis (Andrew Moodie), oversees the ad process. Notwithstanding his job, as a black man the ramifications are even higher: a Johnson win on election night would also be a win for the civil rights movement. Moodie is outstanding in the role, outshining everyone else with subtle glimpses of raw emotion bubbling under the surface of Clifford's cool, composed, and professional outward demeanour.

The stripped-down set, designed by Roger Schultz, is simple and keeps the audience's attention on the dialogue. The backdrop, however, uses multiple screens to depict ads, snippets of newsflashes, and campaign speeches to enhance what is going on onstage. When not in use, the screens are entirely unobtrusive. It is a remarkably effective way to draw the audience into the story.

Daisy is a worthy welcome back into the world of live theatre. For those concerned about the health environment, I never felt unsafe during the experience, as the theatre follows all COVID-19 protocols and audience seating maintains physical distancing. I can easily recommend the show and, luckily, it runs until December 17th so there are still plenty of opportunities to buy tickets. Click here to visit GCTC's site to learn more about this production and to purchase tickets.

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