Trifles
Created by Susan Glaspell
Produced by Ottawa School of Theatre
40m
We gather around the fireplace at the crime scene as Mr. Hale tells us what he saw that day. But what his wife sees next is what will have us staring out the window tonight. My first thought was that this was going to be a campfire ghost story melodrama. I was wrong.
Impressive stage presence commands this true crime 1900s drama, letting us in to emotions which are still relevant today.
And so begins an Ottawa Fringe youth production, based on the true events of a criminal case in 1900 covered by reporter Susan Glaspell—a woman was arrested and tried for the murder of her husband.
In 1917, Susan was inspired to write the play Trifles by the haunting memories of the trial and devoted the rest of her life to being a playwright. The date is important because this was one of the most popular plays at the beginning of the American Modernist movement, beating Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill by over a decade. It uses the stark honesty of that movement to reveal the importance of feminism and the obligations of community.
Meanwhile, back on stage, the actors’ body language instantly make the setting real. The steadiness of Mr. Hale, the fidgeting of Mrs. Hale, the confident uprightness of the Peters. The sweeping arrogance of the County Attorney. They are all vital to the progression of the play.
The set tells a tale which the women gradually interpret, while the men bound about offstage in search of the obvious. The truth comes out while picking through everyday items in the farmhouse. Trifles. Nothing is obvious and no pronouncements are made, but hearts are turned, and consequential actions are taken.
Are you curious about what happened to the woman in the real crime? Her name was Margaret Hossack. She was tried and found guilty but then acquitted on appeal. A second trial resulted in a hung jury, so she was set free. The crime is still unsolved.
Trifles is playing at LabO June 17 and June 18, 2023. Visit ottawafringe.com/fringe/ for the schedule and box office info. Read more reviews at https://apt613.ca/category/festival/fringe/.
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