Norwegian Director Eivind Johansen has expressed his abhorrence for corporations mistreating our planet through exploitation and pollution, but stops there. Hence, with his new musical production touring Canada that recently stopped at the Ant Centre, Johansen provided ample lip-service to the pitfalls of urbanization.
While smoking his fifteenth Marlboro cigarette during the conversation, he said, “My play… takes a jab at those [corporate] fuckers. They should see it and take a few notes on how not to be total jackasses to nature for profit.”
He then proceeded to rant for approximately 10 minutes and still managed to not make any new points.
The play features actors in elaborate tree costumes with live birds in cages perched atop their heads, performing their dramatic musical numbers to didgeridoo and theremin instrumentals, up on stage and sometimes more interactively right next to the audience. Halfway through, some actors clad in suits and briefcases stepped in. I marvelled as they pursued the trees while stealing their bird cages, offering such a powerful symbolism for corporations profiting from nature with no reciprocity.
The 10-hour duration of the show seemed to breeze by as I got so absorbed in Johansen’s brilliance. Audience members got birds-in-cages hats as well as bird-feed, so I soon found myself bonding with a majestic macaw. Although leaving the theatre room was prohibited — even to use the bathroom — and there were no refreshment breaks so I snacked on bird-feed, I understood Johansen’s creative decision to avoid any interruptions. The play’s message is an urgent one.
All in all, Johansen’s musical makes a statement against humanity’s abuse of power.
Admirably, he stays true to his beliefs. With tragedies happening constantly, his musical is relevant to today’s affairs — and might be so for the foreseeable future, as the climate crisis is yet to be solved.