Fringe Show Reviews

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Guernica

Written by: Erika Luckert

Presented by: Hidden Harlequin Theatre, Edmonton, AB

Venue 6: Tom Hendry Theatre

Our Rating: Your Average Rating:

07/22/2012 1:48 PM | Comments: 0

Guernica captures the inspiration for Pablo Picasso’s most powerful visual statement against the horrors of war.

The barefoot and shirtless Spanish artist enters from the rear of the dark theatre with a single flashlight, descending into a cellar shelter full of the debris and at least one body left by the horrific saturation bombing of the militarily insignificant town of Guernica in 1937. He imagines five of the townspeople going about their simple lives on market day before they are captured by his artistic vision, frozen in time on the blank canvas that sits on the stage.

Edmonton playwright Erika Luckert cleverly provides non-naturalist shards of a story that reflect Picasso’s use of shattered forms to depict the shattered feelings of the innocents. Like Picasso’s monochromatic painting, Luckert’s hour-long drama is not always easy to interpret but undoubtedly a compelling work of art.

— Kevin Prokosh

From the Fringe program:

Watch the painted figures come to life, see their small Spanish town destroyed by bombs, and witness the moment of inspiration for Picasso's masterpiece "Guernica".

Directed by the creator of last year's hit play "Big Shot", this is "a fascinating, well-conceived drama that commands your attention and doesn't let it go." - Edmonton Journal, 4 1/2 STARS

Recommended For: Mature Audience

Length: 60 min

Tickets: $10

Warnings: Subject Matter, Language

History

Updated on Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 1:48 PM CDT:
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