Drawing upon an eclectic mix of proverbial gestures, ideological nonsense, and political humour, the Victoria College Drama Society’s (VCDS) slick and clever production of The Garden Party provides its audience with a wry look into the inane world of communist bureaucracy.
Written in 1963, Václav Havel’s The Garden Party follows the misadventures of Hugo Pludek, a young Czechoslovakian chess-player who is pressured by his well-meaning parents to seek employment with the government. At a garden party hosted by the Liquidation Office, Hugo is initially taken aback by the absurd characteristics of officialdom and nonsensical behaviour of the individuals he meets. However, after adapting to the careerist jargon, he begins to climb the ranks of the intertwined offices. He seems to outplay everyone else on the board yet, by the play’s end, it’s clear that he is both the winner and the loser — just like he was in his own chess game.
Directed by David Kitai, the actors did an exceptional job conveying tricky themes of shifting identity and confusion resulting from deliberately convoluted conversations. In so doing, the VCDS brings to light the dangers of an all-too-familiar system of shameless bureaucracy through subtle satire. Every performer seemed to tackle the fast-paced verbal banter and instances of physical comedy with ease.
As Pludek, Bennett Steinburg provided the production with a rock-solid foundation. He was appropriately enigmatic and transitioned believably from near-childlike sincerity to a state of bureaucratic authoritativeness that can only be derived from a gradual mastery of technical terminology and twisted double-talk.
Mr. Pludek and Mrs. Pludek played by Jacob Levitt and Cassandra Gosselin respectively, bookended the performance with genuine warmth. The administrative team of the Clerk (Allie Sinclair) and Secretary (Fateema Miller) provided the production with a near-constant supply of comic relief.
While, at times, the outdoor environment made the rapid-fire dialogue challenging to hear, simple and intimate staging showcased the performances themselves. Carried out by cast members, the set changes were clean and well orchestrated — a credit to stage manager Veronika Gribanova.
The VCDS delivered a rendition of The Garden Party that was both engrossing and amusing from start to finish. All things considered, this high-quality rendition of The Garden Party is not to be missed; it’s one of those distinctive shows that marks an era but takes on a life of its own. Keep in mind (as one character so frequently insisted) — “the garden party is for everyone!”
