Theatre of the Film Noir

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Theatre of the Film Noir is a stage play by Canadian playwright George F. Walker. [1] Inspired by film noir tropes, the play centres on Inspector Clair, a detective who is investigating the death of Jean, a young gay resistance fighter in the aftermath of the Liberation of Paris in 1944. [2]

Contents

Characters in the play include Bernard, Jean's lover; Liliane, Jean's sister; Eric, a German Nazi officer and Liliane's lover whom she is hiding in her home to protect him; and Hank, an American soldier whom Liliane enlists to kill Bernard before he can inform the detective about Eric. [2]

The play was originally promoted as an adaptation of an unpublished play by a French playwright named Henri Berger, [3] although this was a publicity stunt and neither Henri Berger nor the "original" play actually existed. [4] In fact, the play drew on some plot and character elements of Jean Genet's novel Funeral Rites , to the extent that the producers took the precaution of having copyright lawyers review the works before taking the production on a European tour, with the lawyers ultimately finding that the works were different enough to not raise infringement issues. [4]

Productions

It was first staged by Factory Theatre in Toronto as part of the Toronto Theatre Festival, with its cast including Stephen Bush as Inspector Clair, David Bolt as Bernard, Susan Purdy as Liliane, Jim Henshaw as Eric and Peter Blais as Hank. [2]

A 1986 production at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa featured Blais playing the role of Bernard, with John Koensgen as Inspector Clair, Lorina Harding as Liliane, Robert Bockstael as Eric and Terrence Scammell as Hank. [5]

A 1993 production by Folio Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois, starred Peter Blood as the inspector, Tim Curtis as Bernard, Amy Carlson as Liliane, Alec Wild as Eric and Kirk Sanders as Hank. [6]

Awards

AwardYearCategoryNomineeResultRef(s)
Dora Mavor Moore Awards 1981 Best Production, General Theatre Factory Theatre Lab Won [7]
Best Original Play, General Theatre George F. Walker Nominated
Best Direction, General Theatre Won
Best Lighting Design, General TheatreJim PlaxtonWon
Best Original Score, General Theatre John Roby Won
Governor General's Award 1981 English-language drama George F. WalkerNominated [8]
Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award 1982Best PlayHonored [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Carole Corbeil, "Walker puts banality on the run". The Globe and Mail , May 12, 1981.
  2. 1 2 3 Carole Corbeil, "Walker's Film Noir is a-buzz with fun". The Globe and Mail , May 16, 1981.
  3. ↑ Brian Brennan, "Late-night fare perfect for TC's midnight series". Calgary Herald , May 21, 1981.
  4. 1 2 Ray Conlogue, "Film noir spoof may tour Europe". The Globe and Mail , January 8, 1982.
  5. ↑ Barbara Crook, "Production of Film Noir does justice to play's subtleties". Ottawa Citizen , January 30, 1986.
  6. ↑ Stephanie Shaw, "Frontiers/Theatre of the Film Noir". Chicago Reader , March 25, 1993.
  7. ↑ Carole Corbeil, "Just like Oscars: lots of no-shows; Carver, Maxwell win theatre awards". The Globe and Mail , January 26, 1982.
  8. ↑ Brian Brennan, "Sharon Pollock delighted; David Cassidy plays West". Calgary Herald , May 18, 1982.
  9. ↑ "Playwrights share Chalmers Award". The Globe and Mail , January 12, 1982.
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