Theatre, Tarantino-style
Unapologetic violence, gender reversals and the fine art of foot massages are not usually staples of the theatrical stage.
Yet, all these elements and more were featured in Purple Octogon's reinterpretation of the contemporary classic film Pulp Fiction. The play, featuring several Ryerson graduates in the cast and technical crew, opened to a packed house last week at the Kathedral at Queen and Bathurst streets.
"We wanted to localize it," said director Andre Davis, who requested that his alias, Mandrepheus Androgon, be used instead.
The show just started its first production in Toronto, after having successful runs in Halifax and London, England.
Pulp Fiction -- Live! offers the same story lines as the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film, following the adventures of mob hit men Vincent Vega (Benny Min) and Jules Winnfield (Ted Rafuse, thankfully without a jerri-curl) as they search for their employer's (Derrek Peels) briefcase.
Along the way, their adventures intersect with the lives of several other characters, resulting in a lot of fake blood and brainy bits.
What makes the production unique is the thorough breaking down of the fourth wall. The action happens in and around the audience, including the projectile brains.
"In 1997, a friend at Dalhousie (University) asked me to co-direct (Pulp Fiction -- Live!), and play Jules," Androgon said. "He made me believe it could happen in one stage instead of 20 locations."
In fact, the entire production was meant to happen in real-time, explains location producer Matt Swan, one of the many behind-the-scenes staff involved in the production and who also comes from Ryerson.
"It's supposed to actually happen in the Kathedral," Swan said, with the audience watching real events instead of scenes from a movie.
The results are admittedly mixed, as acoustics in the Kathedral are better suited to rock acts on stage than actors who move in and out of sight of the audience. While encouraged to move around as the action shifted, the majority of the audience chose to stay in its seats.
Coupling cultural diversity with gender reversals, the now-Asian Vincent and suddenly-white Jules (formerly John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, respectively) are joined by a female Butch Coolidge (Nadine Jackson), originally played by Bruce Willis.
Androgon says that Ryerson nearly populates the entire crew. Along with Swan, the stage manager Alaina Perttula is also from Ryerson. Jackson, a graduate of Dalhousie University, who attended Ryerson Theatre School for two years in technical theatre, reveals that despite being a founding member of Purple Octogon, Androgon still made her audition for the role of Butch -- even after playing her in Halifax.
"I thought in theatre you have to know people and you're the person I know!" Jackson said, in reference to the director.
Despite not graduating from Ryerson, Jackson credits the theatre school for providing her with her vast working experience and practical knowledge.
"It was pretty focused at Ryerson," said Jackson of the theatre school's program, which allowed her to learn more about the technical aspects of the industry.
Her character of Butch, though, has undergone some significant changes from Halifax to Toronto, Jackson said.
"The first time I did it the director wanted me to be ambiguous, so the audience really wasn't sure if Butch was a man or a woman.
"This time, I really wanted to be a woman. I'm a woman going up against a whole bunch of guys, especially fighting with Marsellus Wallace, one of the top guys. These actions can be taken by a woman."
Jackson also notes that Pulp Fiction -- Live! isn't close to a traditional "Mirvish musical," and that Ryerson students would enjoy the play, as the film itself was something "students probably watched and were even inspired by.
"We want them to leave thinking, this is cool and bloody and gory, not 'Wow that girl can sing really high.' Theatre is dying, but we're saying that theatre doesn't need to die."
The production will be a tough act to sell, seeing that more unorthodox fare such as last year's Bat Boy closed prematurely, a fate Pulp Fiction -- Live! hopes to avoid.
"Paul Simon once famously asked, 'Is theatre dead?' Well theatre isn't dead," Androgon said.
"I wanted to give empowerment to women, even before Kill Bill came out," Androgon said.
"You can enjoy it without the hero being a male."
Swan, who also worked with Androgon in Nova Scotia, agrees with the gender reversals.
"Toronto is so diverse. It was (originally) just going to be Jules white, Vincent black, but it turned out to be so diverse that (we changed our minds)."
Despite Pulp Fiction -- Live! being a success in several cities, Androgon still hasn't fulfilled one of his goals.
"We tried contacting (Tarantino). I think he would just sit in the back and smile. He would enjoy it."
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