On Tuesday, I surprised Vero with a night at the National Arts Center for a play called 7 Important Things. I really didn’t know much about it other than it had to do with rebellious/counterculture elements which intrigued me after reading The Rebel Sell. Sara and Chris went to see it and they had a 50/50 split on liking/not liking it.
After getting a bowl of chili at Tim Horton’s (warning: this may not be a good idea on a date), we got to the NAC and stood in line for awhile and then found out a seat in the Theatrical Studio.
At first I thought the stage was extremely minimalist. A chair here, a podium there. But my thoughts changed throughout the course of the play.
The play follows the character of George and his life in becoming a hippie, to the destruction of hippie living and more responsible living (aka working) and then the punk movement of the 80s and then now. It follows his path through life and how he feels that he is searching for happiness through these movements, but in the end, he isn’t really that happy at all with the way his life has been lived.
The play bounces from the past and present at many points and uses first and third person narratives frequently. There is also the breaking of the fourth wall when they speak with the audience at various points. I loved the use of music – contemporary music; as well as the use of different forms of media; the lighting, the projectors with images from their past. I loved how if an image was being projected, one person moved the projector while the other held up a giant white placard and followed the image. Very cool. The set became a multi-purpose set as different areas were lit differently and represented different periods in George’s life.
There were also discussions on marketing and counterculture and the art of rebeling agasint something. Nothing new to hear but it was interesting to see it on stage.
I have now started to realize what sort of theatre I enjoy. After being cultured for the past two years, I feel that the modern/contemporary plays really hit the spot in my heart. I love the use of music and various other technologies and not just people on a stage using their emotions. Extreme uses of music and lighthing are a personal favourite of mine which has transitioned nicely over to the theatrical rock concerts that I’ve seen: Nine Inch Nails, Tool, U2…I enjoy a good spectacle. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music, but the visual is an equally important piece.
I would recommend going to see this play. I think it’s here for the remainder of the week here in Ottawa.