Tonight, we open our third Simian Showcase! Here’s one of our directors, Luke LaRocque, to say a few words about the play he’s directing:
I’m not going to lie, I’m more of a Star Wars junkie. I still read the novels: I have 50+ of them sitting in a box somewhere waiting for a third or fourth go around once I move next week. I’m incredibly nervous about the new Disney trilogy (so help me if it doesn’t involve someone called Thrawn). I would be lying if I said that I didn’t reach for a pen across the room once in a while and hope beyond hope that I could Force pull it to myself.
My brothers, on the other hand, are comic book fans. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, they find the comics online and spend hours reading them. I have vivid memories of one brother with a Superman cape flying around the house with his fist outstretched in front of him. They lived and breathed their superheroes, and can tell you the identity of the real Wade Wilson.
Still, when it came time to selecting a script to direct for the Simian Showcase this year, Super jumped off the page at me and I couldn’t resist. The character Supes was a compelling figure to think about, and DJ’s writing certainly drew my attention with its openness to dark humour. Who is this guy who dresses the part every day, for no guarantee of money? Is he crazy? Is he that enamoured with Superman? Or is he just a regular guy, trying to make a buck?
At the same time, the script is about far more than just a character. Part way through, while asking for tips on the street, Supes says “I always feel guilty about the money part. I make sure to do it out of character, so it’s me asking, not the Big Guy. I don’t want someone to think less of Superman for it.”
The Big Guy.
Superman really is the biggest. Despite my mendicant ways when it comes to superheroes, there has never been any doubt in my mind that Superman is the one in charge. He’s the one name that your average non-superhero-loving person would say when you ask for the most popular hero (perhaps that’s debatable, but I’m your average non-superhero-loving person, so I’ll claim it). It takes a certain amount of effort to craft a story about Superman which shows the respect that his character is due. DJ has done a great job of that. It takes a talented actor to portray the Man of Steel on stage, and I think Cam’s been a sensitive interpreter of Clark Kent’s better half (it was no mistake that I asked an avid comic book fan to take the stage with me). I hope I’ve brought a bit more to the script through my direction.
All that being said, Superman will never just be one interpretation. Everyone who comes to see the show will have their own opinion, because Superman is just that iconic. So, in the end, I’m left with presenting my own view of him, and pray that those not-so-average superhero-loving people agree with me.
