The Chicago Tribune exclaims, “[Slings & Arrows] can make you both LAUGH and CRY… don’t miss it.” And having just finished watching all six episodes of the third and final season of this extraordinary Canadian production, I have to admit it did both. I laughed, and I cried, and sometimes at almost the same time. If you haven’t been following along, Slings & Arrows is the brainchild of (former Kids in the Hall member) Mark McKinney, (Second City alumnus) Bob Martin, and (playwright, actor) Susan Coyne. It deals with the dysfunctional New Burbage Theatre Festival (a thinly disguised replica of the Stratford Festival, with dollops of the Shaw Festival added for effect.) It takes place in a small Ontario town, and parts of it were shot in my home town, (which is one reason it feels so true. I’ve eaten in that Chinese restaurant!
The cast members include Paul Gross (playing the emotionally fragile artistic director Geoffrey Tennant,) Martha Burns (as Tennant’s lover and the resident diva Ellen Fanshawe), Stephen Ouimette continues as Tennant’s nemesis, ex-mentor, and current ghost, Oliver Welles. Other regulars include co-creator Susan Coyne, Don McKellar and Oliver Dennis, but the cast has been fleshed out each year by a wealth of guest stars. In Season 3 it’s William Hutt (Stratford royalty, himself) playing a legendary stage actor, Charles Kingman.
Oh, and of course, there’s the business manager of the festival, Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney) who doesn’t really like Shakespeare… he’s more an Oklahoma fan. This season he gets involved creatively as the troupe workshops a new musical about a lovable drug addicted sex worker. The contrast and friction between the musical singers and dancers, and the “serious” actors in the feature presentation, King Lear, adds to the dysfunction of the regulars, and creates a whole new set of problems for Geoffrey. He experiences a “male problem,” has difficulty keeping his star focussed, and continues to be haunted by Welles’ ghost as the musical East Hastings becomes a popular success.
There is something distinctly Canadian about the whole thing. I’m sure that festival towns exist in other countries, but the nature of government sponsorship of the arts, expectations of the Minister of Culture, and the attitudes of the press and audiences speak volumes about the contradictory nature of the arts in Canada. Susan Coyne talks about this dichotomy in one of the bonus features (there’s also an interview with Paul Gross, a gallery of photos, and song lyrics).
You also get, with each season of Slings & Arrows, a healthy dollop of the Bard. Scenes are acted out both in rehearsal and full dress performance, Shakespeare’s genius is celebrated both in the richness of his own language and the quality of the contextual writing by Coyne, McKinney, et al. His themes are drawn from the plays and set into action in the modern world, to be reflected on by the participants and by the viewers. But I don’t want this to sound like it’s too much work. The thing is, the creators do such an excellent job of it all that you are completely caught up in the story, the characters and the plot. You will find yourself laughing… and crying… and watching again. It’s that good. Oh, this is the final season but you’ll be glad to know it all resolves in a most satisfying way. I’m going to miss it!
(David also reviewed Season 1 and Season 2.)
(Acorn Media, 2007)
[Update: The series remains available on DVD from the usual online sources, and to stream at Acorn TV.]
