Review: HEARTLINES at the Great Canadian Theatre Company

Heartlines, presented by TACTICS at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, is based on the true story of two artists living and creating surrealist art together at a time when neither unconventional art nor homosexuality, was widely accepted. Claude Cahun, born Lucy Schwob (Margo MacDonald) met their partner and artistic collaborator, Marcel Moore, born Suzanne Malherbe (Maryse Fernandes), at an art school in their hometown of Nantes, France. They were immediately smitten with one another and began a lifelong journey of discovery together. They moved away from small town Nantes to Paris, where they were able to experiment with gender identity and move in the same social circles as some of the best-known artists and literary figures of the day. When war knocked on their doorstep in 1937, Moore and Cahun, who was Jewish, fled Paris for the apparent safety of Jersey in the Channel Islands. They lived there in relative obscurity and peace for three years before the war found them. The ensuing occupation by Hitler's armies filled them with daily terror, knowing that if they were discovered to be lovers, Jews, or even simply different, they could "disappear" like so many of their friends. Frustrated, emotionally exhausted, and increasingly desperate to do something - anything - they took matters into their own hands to rebel against the occupiers.

The costumes (Vanessa Imeson) form an important part of the narrative, as Cahun and Moore were gender fluid and often experimented with fashion in their art. The set design (Andrea Steinwand) is relatively simple, but full of symbolism. The main focal point is a tarot style hand with the lifeline, or heartline, sketched out on it. The upraised hand also represents Cahun and Moore's struggle to keep their heads above the figurative water threatening to drown them. To the side of the stage, a mask laying on its side symbolizes the many disguises that the lovers had to wear. This was particularly true for Cahun, who was uncomfortable in women's clothing. For them, wearing womens' clothes was a disguise. During the war, pretending to be spinsters rather than a loving couple is just one more example of a mask they had to wear.

The set was enhanced by video imagery by artist Kim Kielhofner and is largely inspired by Cahun and Moore's own art and photographs. The moving, changing images fit the scene beautifully and were sometimes superimposed on the props, augmenting the scene even further.

Heartlines' script was born of a challenge among playwrights to create a play about a gay person whom history had forgotten. Any play that inspires its audience to perform additional subject matter research after they leave the theatre is testament to both the enthralling nature of the script and the powerful performances of the cast. This is the case with Heartlines; the writing is fast paced, keeping the story flowing as it is told in alternating, varying styles - as a traditional stage play, play-within-the-play and vaudeville type sequences, monologues, and memory. MacDonald and Fernandes have incredible chemistry. I would love to see more of these two performers. I also enjoyed the clever interactions among MacDonald, Fernandes, and Scottie Irving, the multidisciplinary musician performing onstage.

Playwright Sarah Waisvisz is an Ottawa native, and it is wonderful to see the GCTC once again collaborating with local artists to showcase homegrown talent. Waisvisz has dedicated all performances to those fighting tyranny everywhere. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, this story feels, perhaps, even more poignant than it might otherwise, as we witness so many brave people rebelling against tyranny in our own lifetimes, as Cahun and Moore did in theirs.

Performances of Heartlines continue at the GCTC through April 3, 2022. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

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