By Christine Smith
Vierge is a riotous spectacle of love, secrets and uncertainty! The show, which opened on Thursday, the 20th of March, introduces sixteen-year-old Divine (Espoir Segbeaya), who wants to make friends her age. To accomplish this, she starts a Bible study youth group in her church’s basement.
Joining Divine, there are Grace (Seera Lindsay), Sarah (Joy Mwandemange) and Bien-Aimé (Symantha Stewart) who, throughout the play, become friends and try to navigate their emotions, protect their secrets, and find their faith.
Symantha Stewart, Espoir Segbeaya, Seeara Lindsay, and Joy Mwandemange in Vierge. Photo by Andree Lanthier.
Vierge, written by Rachel Mutombo, is a co-production between Ottawa’s Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) and Montréal’s Black Theatre Workshop, one of the longest-running, active Black professional theatre companies in Canada. Watching Vierge, I felt that the artists did an incredible job captivating us with comedy and seriousness.
The direction, set and costume quality are out of this world—the stained glass on the set mimics the church windows and the costumes reflect the style and personality of each character. For example, Stewart’s modest wardrobe masks experiences that no teen should ever experience and that Bien-Aimé is trying to hide.
The script is very funny, with hints of dark humour, rebellion, truth and seriousness. The story’s setting is initially a religious gathering that turns into a gossip session, followed by a party, which makes the show very engaging for the audience. The director, Dian Marie Bridge, takes the audience on a journey throughout the play, and it felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride, experiencing emotional highs and lows alongside Vierge’s characters.
Espoir Segbeaya, Symantha Stewart in Vierge. Photo by Andree Lanthier.
Lindsay and Mwandemange’s versatile acting styles allow them to go from kind and sweet to catty and vindictive, as required by their characters. This contrasts nicely with Stewart and Segbeaya’s methods of theatrics, where they can go from awkward, with hints of nervousness, to having confidence and being confrontational. I especially liked how they incorporated the three languages used in the performance: Lingala, English and French. It showed the community’s culture in a different, more realistic light.
In her work, Mutombo successfully replicates how teenagers act outside and within their social circles. They may have a love-hate relationship with their peers, hide their true feelings to maintain social status within their friend group and make judgements towards others because of their insecurities, but at the end of the day, they all crave connection and acceptance.
This beautifully crafted, well-written piece exceeded my expectations, and I recommend it for adults and well-prepared teenagers aged 15 and over. It will run until March 30, and if you want to buy tickets, click here.
This article was written by Christine Smith for the Theatre Appreciation and Criticism Class at the Ottawa School of Theatre.
