salty soul

Soulpepper Theatre Company symbolically opened its 10th anniversary season lastnight with the sort of theatre it does best: elegant, intelligent, heart-felt, and entirely Canadian.

Set in 1926 Newfoundland, Salt Water Moon tells the story of Mary Snow and Jacob Mercer, two lovers reunited after the latter vanishes off to Toronto for a year. It's spiked with moments of anger, frustration, despair, passion, with faith running like a steam train through the proceedings.

Salt Water Moon explores the foundation that was laid for Leaving Home, the French play presented by Soulpepper last season, in which Jacob and Mary, married for 30 years, face the trials and turmoils of life in Toronto.

Once again, in Soulpepper veteran Ted Dykstra's capable directorial hands, the two leads, Jeff Lillico and Newfoundland native Krystin Pellerin, thoroughly explore the inner (and outer) journeys of the two characters on the road to maturity, and use their youth to express the impetuous nature of Jacob and Mary's relating.

Dykstra deftly balances the moments of argument and turmoil with moments of tenderness and humour, all the while firmly placing the context of each character's suffering within historical and personal realms.

The two young actors, Lillico and Pellerin, do a marvellous job of carrying the emotional and spiritual weight of this two-person piece; their chemistry is palpable, and their connection is such that you don't want to take your eyes off either one, even for a moment.

While Jacob is haunted by the ghost of World War I that hangs over Newfoundland, and indeed, over the coming nuptials of his beloved, Mary cannot escape the horror of her younger sister living in an abusive orphanage in St. John's. Each bring a different personal history, one that is both epic and intimate in nature, but never feels forced or contrived.

With a simple, elegant set design by Victoria Wallace, and intuitive, sensitive lighting by Leigh Ann Vardy, the actors blend seamlessly with the magic of a starry Coley's Point night, using the considerable stage space of the Michael Young Theatre to convey varying degrees of passion, anger, and fear.

Just when we think Jacob , exiting the front yard, suitcase in hand, might be gone for good, he re-appears, moments later, out of the dark, a spectral ghost from the Somme, perhaps, but also a symbol of a future that could be labelled 'potent' all on its own.

Indeed, the choice of David French's enchanting work, produced with such loving care, symbolizes not only where Soulpepper has come from since 1998, but what it is now: engaging, proud, courageous -and always creative.

Bravo.

Salt Water Moon runs at the Young Centre until January 31st; tickets can now be purchased online.

Go to www.soulpepper.ca or www.youngcentre.ca for more information.