Review: FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS

Mixing elements from the traditional epic poem with modern theatre, FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PART I, II, III), which opened at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts on Thursday, creates a thought-provoking exploration of both oppression and freedom.

Using a three-act play structure, Suzan-Lori Parks links her play to The Odyssey, Homer's epic poem that follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his journey home after the fall of Troy. But while the echoing classical literature in the character names - Hero, Penny, Homer and Odyssey - was deliberate, it detracted from the focus of the play: the emotional and spiritual toll of slavery.

The first part, A Measure of a Man, opens on a plantation in 1862 Texas with a Chorus of slaves betting on whether Hero (Dion Johnstone) will fight with the Confederates in the Civil War or stay behind with his wife Penny - a conversation that, while entertaining, seemed a little unbelievable. If he fights, his master has promised to grant him freedom. Because of his ability to choose, Hero is able to distinguish himself from the Chorus and can play the role of the anti-hero. Although he has more agency, he is neither free like his master nor enslaved, which creates lays the foundation for the dichotomy between the characters.

Hero decides to join his master, a colonel, and when part two, A Battle in the Wilderness, opens, they have lost track of their regiment and are camped out in the forest with a captured Union soldier namEd Smith. Throughout the scene, the characters discuss their different views about slaveholding: while the colonel is both arrogant and emotional, Smith maintains he would never own a slave, and Hero believes his worth as a coloured man lies in his monetary value.

Hero delivers one of the more jarring, honest and thought-provoking lines of the play: "Seems like the worth of a coloured man, once he's made free, is less than his worth when he's a slave." Overwhelmed with sympathy, the audience begins to understand Hero's selfishness and his reason fro betraying Homer in part one of the play.

By the final part, The Union of My Confederate Parts, we have forgiven Hero as he makes his way back to the plantation after the war. His return brings joy for Penny, played by Lisa Berry, and her facial expression perfectly captured in her the emotional moment. The audience lets out a sigh of relief when the two reunite, only to have our hearts broken a few minutes later. Part three leaves us questioning Hero's character as he, once again, betrays those he loves. He renames himself Ulysses, both the Roman name for Odysseus and a reference to Ulysses S. Grant, the supreme commander of the Union army, but even in his ultimate freedom he remains loyal to his master.

The three parts blend together serious and realistic themes, and cuts the tension with pockets of humour, like Odyssey's retelling of Hero's journey (played by Peter Fernandes, who was perfectly cast and provided the much-needed comic relief). And with a minimalistic stage and set, the cast relied on the text and dialogue to propel the plot. Rather than depending on theatrical effects, they moved the audience to react audibly - whether gasps, laughter or tears - in such an intimate venue.

The play leaves us asking the bigger questions: What does it truly mean to be free? how much is a human life worth? and where is the line between selfishness and obligation?

FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WAR (PART I, II, III) is playing at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts through August 27. For more information, visit soulpepper.ca.

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