The Atrium at the Princess Margaret Hospital is about a half-dozen floors high, and is open to the hallways that lead to the busy hospital wards. So when there is a “Music in the Atrium” program, it’s not just folks sitting in the audience who see the performance, it’s also people who are watching and listening from above: patients, caregivers, … Read More
We can fix this
Two sounds, one turning point. Mr. Verious sings with solemn, ‘holy’ organ music: he’s thinking that all is well and is simply putting a ‘bow’ on the package: check, it’s done. Esther sings with an energetic, alive music—the sound of someone who believes change is necessary. She points out that the problem is actually not solved, and the repercussions from … Read More
Investigate! Interrogate!
Two worlds, one stage. Inside the Ham family home, an agitated Ham paces, demanding answers. Outside, Esther walks quiet and deliberate, already several steps ahead, thinking through what comes next. Tension builds not through confrontation, but through contrast. This scene is a great example of what often happens in the real world. Each person is living in their world, with … Read More
Misogyny and Accountability
One of the more challenging aspects in the original Book of Esther is how misogyny is dealt with: in the end Haman (Ham) is hung, but the King gets off scot-free. There is no accountability. On one hand, it’s easy to say, “Well, he was the King,” or “We don’t know what happens AFTER the Book, that wasn’t written down,” … Read More
Talent Stadium
Welcome to the gaudy spectacle of “Talent Stadium,” where three contestants elbow each other out of the spotlight, each one louder and more desperate than the last: “Look at my smile,” and then “I’ll tell you what to do” – all vying for the judges’ attention. Then Esther steps up to sing, with the heartfelt song Sometimes. No elbowing, no … Read More
Toronto International Film Festival
Who Is Esther has a fascinating – and inspiring – backstory. Randall Craig wrote it in the hospital while receiving treatment for leukemia and a subsequent bone marrow transplant. The development process was also interesting: a first-time playwright trying (unsuccessfully) to elbow in to the established theatre scene. And then there’s the production itself: from a script and score, the … Read More
The Gallows
The moment courage finds its voice where speaking up means risking everything, and silence is no longer an option. “The Gallows” is Who Is Esther at its most raw, the point of no return where truth finally takes the stage and there is the moment of accountability. In this challenging scene, the clerks are wearing “finger lights”, the stage is … Read More
Privileged World
In 1920, the 19th Amendment gave American women the right to vote. In Canada, the path was less unified – most women won the federal vote in 1918, but Quebec women waited until 1940, and Indigenous women weren’t guaranteed the vote until 1960. Progress rarely arrives all at once, or for everyone equally. “Privileged World,” from Who Is Esther, asks … Read More
Mo’s Lament
A song that moves like heartbreak set to rhythm. Picture the chorus dancing a rumba behind a scrim, swaying in the shadows while Mo pours out everything he’s carrying. Grief has never looked so beautiful, or felt so raw. The Kingston Fringe run is behind us, but this scene is still just a listen away. Revisit it anytime on Apple … Read More
Perversity
“We don’t fit his mold / are we slaves to be sold? We must stand up to this brave new world. Learn from diversity, give others courtesy. His absurdity / don’t bow to perversity.” “A shot against diversity / perversity, adversity. The crime of being different, the height of all absurdity.” A defiant anthem against racism, and a call to … Read More