Thinking Outside the Manager
A look inside the non-denominational nativity play that’s taking over the Brick Works… “Silent night, holy night” might be the traditional setting for a certain holiday tale, but The Story, Theatre Columbus’ outdoor play based on the Nativity, promises very little of either. The imaginative walk-about—which weaves its way throughout Toronto’s historic Evergreen Brick Works using the kilns, pavilions and quarry garden as backdrops for the holiday spectacular—updates the ancient tale of Jesus’ birth with an all-inclusive secular spin. Audience members—we recommend travelling with hot cocoa in hand—follow the usual suspects (Mary, Joseph and the three wise men are still the stars of this non-denominational revamp) on an hour-long, one-kilometre journey that recasts the Nativity as a comedic morality play. Director Jennifer Brewin gave us the lowdown on the winter spectacle that runs Dec. 13–30 and is sure to delight the whole family—and startle more than a few unsuspecting passers-by.
1. “When you’re going into public spaces and telling stories there, a linear narrative is important—especially when you’re in a rambling, chaotic outdoor space like the Brick Works,” says Brewin. “Playwright Martha Ross comes at this as a parable, as a story for our time. She took from the Bible and brings the characters to life in a secular context. A baby is born basically in a garbage dump and we decide he’s going to be a leader. So there’s a democratic appeal; your faith can come into it but it doesn’t have to.”
