Hansen story belongs atop medal podium

Young people's theatre doesn't get more meaningful than this.

Despite its ploddingly obvious title, Rick: The Rick Hansen Story delivers a throat-catching message about the importance of perseverance and a positive attitude, using life lessons imparted by Canada's most famous wheelchair athlete.

The 70-minute production, which had its world premiere Friday night at Manitoba Theatre for Young People, boasts tremendous performances by its four-member cast, especially Vancouver's Kyle Jespersen in the title role.

Most Canadians know the facts of Hansen's inspiring 1980s World in Motion tour, but veteran Vancouver playwright Dennis Foon, a frequent MTYP contributor and arguably Canada's best youth playwright, goes back to the hero's high school days in 1970s small-town B.C., where he was a born leader before the accident that changed his life forever.

This makes the proceedings particularly relevant for its target audience, kids 11 and up. Rick also uses some innovative computerized video techniques, ideal for a media-saturated generation. The drama features front and rear projection of filmed scenery onto an austere grey-white stage, bare except for a riser in the centre and layered scrims on either side.

As effective as the filmed background is -- especially a vertigo-producing early scene of a suspension bridge and later in recreating the truck accident in which Hansen is paralyzed -- the show production's technical director, Winnipeg filmmaker Deco Dawson, is not quite in Avatar territory.

Friday afternoon's school performance, before an audience of rapt junior-high students, was marred by a handful of computerized-scenery crashes.

The most unfortunate occurred when the screens blanked during a scene where Hansen, still frustrated by his recent paraplegia, goes fishing by himself, falls out of wheelchair and has to haul himself out and up with only his upper-body strength.

The actors didn't let the technical slip-ups trip them up. Jespersen's imitation of a young man with no feeling below his waist is uncannily accurate from a physical perspective.

He also impresses on an emotional level, finding not just Hansen's core of positive energy but also the despair any teenager -- indeed, any human -- in his situation would feel from time to time.

As his best friend Don, Vancouver-based Charlie Gallant offers a painfully accurate portrayal of an insecure adolescent.

B.C.-based Genevieve Fleming and Winnipegger James Durham round out the foursome with expert handling of the numerous supporting roles.

Cast members lead the audience into periods of tremendous emotion. And Foon's script, which concisely covers a full range of action and empathy in a tight time frame, is particularly impressive.

Of course, it's no surprise this is a first-rate show given some of the backstage talent involved, among them Winnipeg director Robb Paterson, set designer Bill Chesney, lighting designer Itai Erdal and composer Cathy Nosaty.

After the it closes in Winnipeg, Rick moves to Vancouver in time for the 2010 Paralympic Games. It's worthy of Olympic gold.

morley.walker@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 27, 2010 C7