26 Planet of the Arts / October 1996 Interview with Valerie Methot Director of the Fringe Theatre production, The Maids. By Ryan Tunnicliffe RT: ' The Maids is about the power of people, those who have it and those who don’t? VM: _ It’s a vicious circle, it’s a circular play... RT: Hence the mirror in the middle? VM: The centre represents so many things in the play: it’s the hub of the wheel, it’s the alter to which one of the maids kills her self, it’s the perversity zone, it’s the flower, it’s the core... RT: Don’t you think the hierarchy has to do with language? | see The Maids playing with language and how language creates barriers that destroy us in a hierarchy. And this has lots to do with rituals. VM: | definitely see Genet making fun with language. He used really flowery words to make fun of those in society who think that flowery words are the ticket to freedom. RT: How is that different from Noel Coward? VM: With his Martini Language? Noel Coward uses a mask that society accepts more easily. With Genet it’s different because he deals with prison philosophy, which society is generally afraid of, because it says that prisoners are human. RT: Do similar things prevail today, for example with political correctness? VM: Well, | think The Maids works in Vancouver. Madame represents the politically safe role of women, in this time, in this city. Things are changing slightly, but we are still stuck with the Most Literary Campaign Poster 96-97 S.U. exec. committee election Steve Brekelmans & Josh Cohen old blood, the old system. An interesting thing about The Maids, is that Jean Genet, with his text, has denied these women their natural power to give birth and raise children. All three women in The Maids are without children. The play denies a large part of what a women’s existence is all about. So in that sense, what | am talking about here is Vancouver. I’m talking about the hierarchy of society: the career roles, the roles to which we play in our lives, to get us money, to get us power to survive. There are still a lot of women playing the role of career women so that they will have an easier time climbing the societal ladder. In the character of Madame, there is a madness, and there is a perfection of gesture. This duality slowly takes her away from the core of her existence. RT: — Jean Genet said that Freud opened up the idea of universal bisexuality, and Jean Genet was grateful. So then he goes to pull triggers, to make people more aware of their nature. VM: And what better place to learn about natural instincts than in a cell, when all you have is your body, your excrement, you have your sweat, you have heat, you have cold. RT: Do you see that in The Maids? VM: It’s there in The Maids. It applies to women as well as men. It gets even more tense due to the fact that the maids are sisters, which introduces a whole other thing of incest. It introduces the whole idea that for survival, these two sisters have to play roles in society to be maids. And when slaves love one another, it’s not love, it’s survival. RT: There is a lot naive cynicism among teenagers and others, and it for Intermedia Co-Reps. permeates mainstream culture. People reject authority without actual experience or questioning of the role of authority, which co-opts a paradigm of escaping reality. And that’s the great thing about The Maids, or theater like The Maids. It forces people to react in a small venue, with real people acting out roles. And this a very different sort of experience than listening to a NIN album when you're thirteen. VM: Basically, | think that the problem in our society is these two situations: the new generation of those who decide to ignore their roots, and choose a passive place in society and rebel against their roots. | equate that totally with the old generation that denies the new generation coming in. Both aren’t listening to one and other, and that’s what creates problems in society. That's what creates the frustration. That’s what creates the political correctness in the middle people. And nobody is communicating. And those who are communicating, well, we're having a good time. Join The Happy Ones SING Emily Carr Choir Wants You* in the Zmilp Carr Choir “ ‘THURSDAYS 12:15 -1:15 Room 283 *Male Voices Especially Needed not ought ought not create? call for submissions to the (pre menstrual syndrome) show in the ECIAD Concourse Gallery October 30 - November 8, 1996 Many critics and theorists, not to mention artists, believe we have passed the Post Modernist Stage in the history of art production. But what about those of us ~ who, month after month - year after year, have had to endure the shifting mood swings and bloating ideologies that cramp the styles of art we have chosen to If P.M.S. has informed the way you look at or produce work - we want to hear from you. The works that will make up the P.M.S. show, will be located directly around issues of P.M.S. All work is open to each individual artist's interpretation; however, due to space limitations, works submitted will be culled by the P.MLS. collective - who proposed the P.M.S. show. _All submissions will be returned via the mail mailboxes, as well as, notifications of works selected. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: OCTOBER 9th, (4:30), 1996 26 Planet of the Arts / October 1996 Interview with Valerie Methot Director of the Fringe Theatre production, The Maids. By Ryan Tunnicliffe ld blood, the old system. ‘An interesting thing about The Maids, is that jean Genet, with his text, has denied these women thee ‘natural power to give bith and rise ‘children. All three women in The VME It’s vicious cele i's a circular Maids are without children. The play play nies large part of what a women’s existence is all about. So in that sense, what | am taking about here is Vancouver. im talking about the hierarchy of society the carer roles, the roles to which we play in fur lives, to get us money, to get us power to survive. There ae still alot ‘of women playing the role of career ‘women s0 that they wil have an teaser ime climbing the societal ladder. In the character of Madame, there is a madness, and there is 2 perfection of gesture. This duality Slowiy takes her away fom the core ‘of her existence. RT: The Maids s about the power ‘of people, those who have it and those who don't? IR, Hence the mirror inthe mide? ME The centre represents 50 many things in the ply: it’ the hub of the wheel is the alter to which one of {the mais kis her sel is the perversity zane isthe flower, i's the core AT: Don't you think the hierarchy has to do with language? | see The ‘Maids playing with language and hhow language creates barriers that destroy usin a hierarchy. An this has Jts to do with rituals RT: Jean Genet said that Freud ‘opened up the idea of universal Bisexuality, and Jean Genet was ‘grateful So then he goes to pull ‘tigger, to make people more aware of thee nature, VM: | defritely see Genet making fun with language. He used realy flowery words to make fun of those in society who think that flowery ‘words are the ticket to freedom, And those who LYM And what better place to lean about natural instincts than in a cell, ‘when all you have f your body, your ‘excrement, you have Your sweat, you Ihave heat, you have cod AT: How is that iferent from Noe! Coward? VM: With his Martini Language? [Noel Coward uses a mask that soctety accepts more easy, With RT: Genet i's different because he deals ‘with prison philosophy, which society VME Its there in The Maids. Is generaly afraid of, Because it says applies to women as well as men. It that prisoners are human. ‘gets even more tense due tothe fact that the maids are sisters, which introduces a whole other thing of incest introduces the whole idea that for survival these two sisters hhave to play roles in society to be ‘molds. And when slaves love one another, it's not love, is survival Do you see that in The Maids? RT Do similar things prevail today, for example with poktical YM Well | thnk The Maids works in Vancouver. Madame represents the politically safe role of women, inthis {ime in this ey. Things are changing RT: There i lot naive cynicism slighty, but we are stil stuck withthe among teenagers and others, and it Most Literary Campaign Poster 96-97 S.U. exec. committee election Steve Brekelmans & Josh Cohen for Intermedia Co-Reps. permeates mainstream culture People reject authority without actual ‘experience or questioning ofthe role ‘of authority, which co-opts a paradigm of exaping reality. ‘And that’s the great thing about “The Mais, of theater ke The Mads Ie forces people to reat ina small venue, with real people acting out Toles. And this a very diferent sor of ‘experience than listening to a NIN. album when youre thirteen. ME Basically think that the problem in our society is these two Situations: the new generation of ‘those who decide to ignore thie f00Hs, and choose a passive pace in society and rebel against ther rots. ‘equate that totaly withthe old ‘generation that denies the new ‘generation coming in. oth arent Tstening to one and other, and that’s hat creates problems in society. That's what creates the frusteation ‘That's what creates the poltical correctness in the middle people, ‘And nobody is communicating, ‘wel, we'te having a good time. Join The Happy Ones SING Emily Carr Choir Wants You* communicating, THURSDAYS 12:15 -1:15 Room 283 “Male Voices Especially Needed not ought ought not call for submissions to the P.M.S. (ore menstrual syndtone) show in the ECIAD Concourse Gallery October 30 - November 8, 1996 Many critics and theorists, not to mention artists, believe we have passed the ost Modemist Stage inthe history of art production. But what about those of us who, month after month - year atter year, have had to endure the shifting mood swings and bloating ideologies that cramp the styles of art we have chosen to create? It PAM.S. has informed the way you look at or produce work - we want to hear ‘rom you. The works that will make up the P.M.S. show, willbe located directly ‘around issues of P.M.S. ‘All wrk is open o each individual artist's interpretation; however, due to space limitations, works submited willbe culled by the P.M.S. collective - who proposed the P.M.S. show. All will ihe mail mai well as, notifications of works selected DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: OCTOBER 9th, 90), 1996