Image credit: RCAT Theatre (via lspuhall.ca)
A local tragedy,
Newfoundland has witnessed its fair share of tragedies, some of which have become relatively well-known over the years. The cougar helicopter crash, the SS Caribou… The Ocean Ranger. Devastations like these all seem to have one thing in common: the stories told, and the voices never heard.
After all, when disaster strikes, we always get rampaged with headlines and breaking news; everyone is eager to find out what happened. For a brief moment, the public is enthralled by the wreckage of the disaster. Victims’ names often get splashed on every front page in an attempt to put an identity to what happened. Eventually, those who are unaffected move on, while many are left behind voiceless and dealing with the repercussions for years to come.
‘Rig’ presented by RCAT,
Directed by Joan Sullivan and Nicole Rousseau, ‘RIG’ was adapted by Sullivan from the book “RIG: An Oral History of the Ocean Ranger Disaster” written by Mike Heffernan. Right from the beginning of the play, the audience could feel the weight of the material. Regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the Ocean Ranger disaster, the prologue at the start was meticulous in its attempt to introduce the events to the audience so we could all begin on the same footing.
The director’s vision was clear and simple. The cast consisted of 6 actors playing multiple roles within the one piece. To eliminate confusion and create a seamless flow of events, a slide was projected at the start of every scene, introducing the cast in the order in which they would speak. Additionally, there were small costume changes throughout the play to indicate when an actor was portraying someone new.
Regardless, even in the absence of those details, the actors could indicate these changes themselves; their portrayals were compelling in that they shifted their mannerisms, tone of voice, and stance to create a proper representation of the individual they were portraying and the story they were telling. From a grieving widow to a communications employee for Mobil oil, actor Wendi Smallwood was able to shift accents and mannerisms, with the audience following along effortlessly. But that’s what’s so unique about this production; these are real stories, the actors are depicting real people that were affected by the aftermath of the Ocean Ranger disaster.
Documentary theatre,
When adapting the play from the book “RIG: An Oral History of the Ocean Ranger Disaster” Sullivan chose not to stray far from the original material. In order to keep the stories authentic and accurate, Sullivan created a piece of documentary (verbatim) theatre to encapsulate the honest word-for-word tellings of the onshore victims of the Ocean Ranger disaster. When speaking with Heffernan and Sullivan, it was made clear that the events of the play are distanced from that fateful night on February 15th, 1982. With all 84 men lost in the disaster, there is no one left to tell the story but those onshore.
“The story of what happened to the families and the coworkers is just as important as what happened on the rig.”
Mike Heffernan, Author of “RIG: An Oral History of the Ocean Ranger Disaster”
Within this format, the play was able to bring to life the voices of those that Mike Heffernan interviewed for his book. With such a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, we were reminded of the varying people that can be heavily impacted by a disaster like this. One particular attention-grabbing moment was when Aidan Flynn, in his portrayal of a crew member who had been onshore at the time of the disaster, explains his experience with “why me syndrome” or, as many call it, ‘survivors guilt.’ In the midst of a tragedy, we often forget about those who were left behind, and not only the family and friends of those lost but those that, perhaps with a slightly altered decision, could have been the ones to die.
The intention behind the remount,
The remount of the play ‘RIG’ is intentional and holds special meaning as this year is the 41st anniversary of the disaster. It has been 41 years since those 84 men were lost, 56 of which were Newfoundlanders. So, why is it important to continue telling these stories after all this time?
Sullivan and Heffernan described how, at its core, this is a human story. A Newfoundland story. It is a documentation of ordinary people thrust into unimaginable circumstances in which they come face-to-face with a harsh reality. A price can be put on human life; there are consequences to treating human beings as though they have a measurable worth. Family members, friends, and colleagues are the ones who experience the true cost of those lost; their stories deserve to be documented and remembered to ensure that this kind of preventable negligence is never repeated.
‘RIG’ will be performed at the LSPU hall until the 14th, at 8pm on the 11th, 13th, and 14th, and 2pm on the 12th. The 11th will include a live stream and live audio description, and a relaxed performance is available on the 12th.
As young students, our generation is far more distanced from the events of February 15th, 1982. But that is the precise reason it is so important we make the effort to remember the tragedies that have shaped our province, and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to witness a retelling of the impact that the Ocean Ranger had on our community.
**As well, it is important to note that all RCAT shows have a student and artist discount.**
It is essential that we continue to support our local artists and community. There are so many incredible productions just waiting to be experienced. Check out lspuhall.ca for any upcoming performances that may pique your interest.