Dionysus

Last week, my CreComm class filed into the Rachel Browne Theatre to indulge in a night of Winnipeg culture. We all saw the play Dionysus in Stony Mountain, directed by Bill Kerr starring Sarah Constible and Ross McMillan.

The play follows a psychiatrist’s descent into perceived madness using her patient at Stony Mountain as her muse.

Sounds like a pretty interesting concept, right?

Well maybe some people enjoyed this play, but I was definitely not the audience for it.

The first act was packed with philosophy driven convoluted sentences, and Friedrich Nietzsche (who’s that??) quotes that left myself and many other audience member with a bad taste in their mouths. Who talks like that? No one.

I don’t know any intellectual people that speak as if they’re reading from a textbook.

The first act was a snooze fest. I really didn’t grasp onto any emotional moments and nothing stuck out for me as particularly interesting. I didn’t connect with either character, and didn’t care about what may happen to them in the future.

My main focus during the first act was that my legs were too long for the tiny seats, followed by “who wears ultra skinny jeans to a 2 hour long play? Come on Lindsay.”

My leg comfort should not be my main focus during a play.

The second act was an improvement on the first. I could focus on the show for the entire duration of the performance, and the actors seemed to be more passionate about the material.

They measured already cut-to-size isolation, changed from grey sweater to grey sweater, and drank scotch. Thrilling material. But seriously, the second act wasn’t so bad.

I used to minor in theatre and I really do enjoy going to see shows, but this was not a fun evening. By the time I got home I was bitter about being out past my bedtime, and disappointed in my sore legs. I definitely recommend getting out to see some plays in Winnipeg, but please, for your sake, avoid Dionysus in Stony Mountain.