Metafiction can be difficult to disentangle, but for one local playwright, it's at the core of his latest work, and it's sure to add some humour. The setting of play involves pirates — sort of.
Talent from home
Patrick Derksen’s An Act of Piracy hits P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall's stage from November 7–10. The story makes use of an unexpected context for a familiar (and perhaps relatable) archetype, struggling artists.
“[It takes place in] the 1600s,” says Derksen. “They're not very good actors, and they're facing some hardships, and one of the actors suggests that they try a new method of acting where they go live the life of the characters they want to portray. At the time, pirates are big news, so they decide to head out to sea as pirates to see if they can experience the real thing.”
With its elements of metafiction and irony, the play’s premise is sure to amuse. Among the characters is a “pompous blowhard” named Lord Cranberry, played by Eric Buhr, an actor who has been performing with Flatlands Theatre Company for seven years now.
“[Lord Cranberry] is the owner and runner of the theatre troupe, and then becomes, in name, at least, the captain of the pirate ship in the second act,” says Buhr, adding that he has enjoyed getting to know the character.
“It's just been a lot of fun being able to ramp up the ridiculousness of him. He's really kind of oblivious to a lot of what's going on around him,” he says. “He thinks he's a better actor than he is.”
A premise that supports comedy
For Derksen, creating a story with bad actors at its core lends itself to a light and amusing result. It also leads to an interesting staging experience.
“[I enjoyed] all the different ways that I could get the actors to be bad at acting,” he says. “[For example,] Eric is a great actor, and you have to watch him unlearn all of these things that he's used to doing so that he can be a bad actor on stage. It was my sneaky way to teach students . . . what not to do.”
A quality set, actors for quality writing
Derksen says that beyond its capacity as a teaching tool, the play will also be visually pleasing.
“I'm super impressed with the whole set design. We have an actual pirate ship that is almost seaworthy — except for the giant hole in the bottom, I suppose,” he says. “I think when the curtains come up in Act 2, there'll be some gasps because I know I gasped when I saw it the first time.”
The cast of An Act of Piracy features a talented group of people who will also enhance the experience.
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“We have fantastic performers. We have a handful of Flatlands veterans that have been in a lot of shows that know what's going on, but we also have a lot of younger performers that are newer to the game,” says Buhr. “They bring an energy and an enthusiasm for it that you just don't see all the time.”
For Buhr (a sentiment that the other actors in the production would likely echo), all the work and effort that goes into an actor culminates in one perfect moment.
“There's a feeling you get when you're on stage and you know that you and everyone around you has absolutely hit it and nailed it and you've got the audience right where you want them,” he says. “There's an energy that comes from that, and I'm basically just always chasing that energy.”
A world of one’s making
When it comes to Derksen, who has written eight plays so far, a love for acting goes hand in hand with a love for creating situations. It goes back to childhood.
“[I like seeing a story] come to life. I just remember as a kid, [I would play] with Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joes and it's all staged, and then you get too old. People look askance at that,” he jokes. “How else can I make this happen? Now I can use human beings to act out the stories.”
Derksen himself has a role in the production: He plays the playwright in the play that he wrote.
“Yes, it’s a bit of a mindbender,” he says.
The show takes place from November 7–10. From Thursday to Saturday, it begins at 7:30, and on Sunday there is a matinée at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets online through the P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall.
With files from Ty Hildebrand