The APA presents
Jean Genet’s “The Maids"
By: Jovon-Tarique Browne
Friday April 4th was the premier of the eagerly anticipated year 4 play The Maids written by Jean Genet, and directed by Mervyn de Goeas at The Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook. Jean Genet (1910-1986) was a significant and controversial French writer. Earlier in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal but later took to writing plays, novels and poems. Mervyn de Goeas is an award winning local director whose work includes “Beef no chicken (2006),” “3 Women (2008),” and “The Vagina Monolouges (2002).”
The house opened at 7:30pm and the show started at 8:00pm. As you enter the theatre the music alone which was 1930’s French music, immediately set the mood. The stage was wonderfully designed with what appeared to be white linen drapes and beautiful antique furniture and the tiled floor showed the richness that is Madame. I’ve never seen a set so beautiful the ostentation of Madame and the surrealism of the period married seamlessly to create the perfect backdrop for what we were about to witness. I loved the lighting, the purple floor lights and the white and blue hanging light definitely brought out the beauty of the set. The intermingling of the set, the costumes, the lights and the music surely made one feel transported into the time period.
The play is about two housemaids Solange and Claire who construct elaborate sadomasochist rituals when their mistress (Madame) is away. The focus of their role-playing is the murder of Madame and they take turns portraying both sides of the power divide. After their role playing in the first part of the show they decide to actually poison Madame for real. Their scheme involved Clair poisoning Madame’s tea when she returned home. Prior to Madams’ return they received a phone call stating that her boyfriend was freed from jail and was waiting for her at a bar. Upon Madame’s arrival she tells the maids they will inherit her lavish lifestyle, she gives Claire the red dress she previously wore, and gives Solange a fur cape. She notices the phone is off the hook and enquires about it and they tell her that Monsieur had called. She orders Solange to call a taxi and rushes to get dressed; taking back what she gave the maids in the process. All the while Claire is desperately trying to get her to drink the tea and Madame refuses; eventually the taxi arrives and Madame leaves.
ISSUE 1/MAY 2014
8