Dal students take up The March

The Dalhousie Theatre Society presents The March at Bus Stop Theatre from March 9 to 11. Written by the Badac Theatre Company and generously given to Dal Theatre Society, the play is a piece of extreme political art about four Jewish Holocaust prisoners on a death march.

Dalhousie law student Alayna Kolodziechuk has previously directed shows in Hamilton and Toronto, but this is her directorial debut in Nova Scotia. She was inspired to take on The March after participating in the "The March of Hope," a trip to Germany and Poland with students and Holocaust survivors. Ms. Kolodziechuk says the trip made her want to "continue to pay it forward," and she has tried to make the production a means of "convey[ing] a message and an experience."

Ms. Kolodziechuk encouraged a lot of research in the early stages of rehearsing. Cast member Matthew Peach believes that research makes it possible for the actors’ characters to "believe the words they are saying."

A real and recent evil

Dal theatre grad Andy Gouthro believes the play leaves audience and cast members alike wondering "to what extent [the events] portrayed actually happened." The actor, who plays one of the Nazi guards, says it's fun to play evil characters, even though this experience has been different.

Actress Kari Bell is an honours student in acting and German and was intrigued by the script because "German history fascinates." Ms. Bell’s character was added into the script by Ms. Kolodziechuk to fill space and maintain continuity after one scene was omitted due to graphic content. Ms. Kolodziechuk also decided to make Ms. Bell’s character completely silent as juxtaposition to other very vocal characters. "A lot of people lost their right to speak during the Holocaust," adds Ms. Bell, explaining the significance of her role.

In contrast, the Nazi guards’ text is written entirely in capital letters. Dal theatre grad Mr. Peach explains that this is a challenging for him and Mr. Gouthro, as they must still create character arcs "without tonal deviation."

The March is the first Dal theatre production for freshman theatre student Isaac Keoughan. Mr. Keoughan’s role is particularly physical, as he carries co-star Micha Cromwell on his back for the majority of the play. He'll be sad to part with his fellow cast members. Ms. Bell agrees that they have "definitely bonded."

Bare bones theatre

Ms. Cromwell, a first-year BA student, has acted in a variety of plays with other companies, but she "wanted to do something more dark and dramatic." She and all other cast members admit rehearsals were often "emotionally tiring."

To add to the bleakness of the story, the play is performed without a set. First-year BA student and cast member Taylor Olson points out that lack of set makes the audience focus on the characters more, and Ms. Kolodziechuk agrees that the bare, black-box theatre heightens the audience’s immersion.

The production team for The March is composed entirely of Dalhousie Law students, including stage manager Chelsey Roy, front-of-house promoter Michelle Squires, and producer Daniel Pink.

Prior to the play, the artwork of NSCAD students will be displayed in the lobby to provide context for the play. Mr. Pink believes it is important to reflect upon past hardships in "different mediums" such as theatre and art.

As far as the anticipated reception of the play, the cast and crew all agree that there are always risks with political theatre, but as Ms. Kolodziechuk says, "that is exactly why [they] are doing it." She adds that, "the point is to be uncomfortable and scared" because the play represents the lives of real people who "couldn’t get up and leave" like an audience can. Ms. Kolodziechuk explains that The March "is not a hero story, but a dark and brutal aspect of the Holocaust."

Mr. Pink is thankful to have Dal Theatre Society as a presenting sponsor. Ms. Kolodziechuk is also grateful for the funding, as well as her "extremely dedicated team and actors."

This will be the first performance of the play outside the Badac Theatre Company, and it has sparked considerable community interest, selling out the first two performances. Tickets ($13) for the Friday night show at Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen Street, can be purchased through Ticket Atlantic and participating Atlantic Superstores.