by PETER CRNOGORAC
Medicine Hat News
T
ommy Douglas "The Arrows of Desire," a one-man play by B.C. actor John Nolan was deep, dynamic and funny. But at times it was also drawn out and propagandic -- what better way for a play discerning the life of one of the most controversial and misunderstood figures in Canadian political history.Nolan began the play, which was shown at the Esplanade on Wednesday night, by just simply walking on the stage.
Nolan, a short man like Douglas, was fiery in his speeches, which was one of Douglas's secret weapons.
Nolan began with a quick history of Douglas's early years. He was born in 1904, and left Scotland for Winnipeg as a young boy.
Douglas and his family briefly went back to Scotland during the First World War but returned to Winnipeg with his family as a 14-year-old boy.
Nolan told how at the age of 19 Douglas became a preacher and through a friendship with a fellow pastor, J.S. Woodworth, became involved in politics by joining the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation; the precursor of the NDP.
Some of the most interesting areas of the play were the years from 1944 to 1960 when Douglas led the CCF as Saskatchewan premier.
However, here was where the play felt like it was bankrolled by Jack Layton and the New Democrats.
The next 20 minutes was a diatribe on how successful the party was in Saskatchewan and how it could do no wrong.
If you are not a New Democrat or a socialist follower then you may have felt left out of the loop at times.
Nolan himself was a stellar talent, and a quick wit, such as Douglas is said to have been. At one point in the play, while moving from a desk to a table, a lighting mistake was made and Nolan was left in the dark.
"Get back into the light," he said, not breaking from the Douglas character. "One of the hardest things in life is to get back into the light." If the audience didn't see the lighting mistake then no one would have noticed the line was a free-running dialogue.
Another disappointment to the play was that it was one dimensional. One-play acts are difficult, and Nolan deserves accolades, but some of the funniest and most interesting parts in the play involved prerecorded
voice-overs of actors -- maybe Nolan? -- as opposition members of parliament.
Also whenever Douglas was involved in an election, a cheesy 1940s style boxing announcer would call out the champion and challenger. When describing Douglas, he would say things like "In this corner the Judas turncoat, wearing commie red..."
Another problem with the play was that it was too long. It came in at just under two and a half hours.
Beside these little points the play was a monumental success.
Douglas "The father of Medicare" is a rock solid Canadian hero. He was a fighter and a family man. He was anti-war and fully for humanity. Nolan shows all his sides in "The Arrows of Desires," and more.
