Sapientia, by Hroswitha of Gandersheim : an historic gamble undertook by Mia van Leeuwen and Scapegoat Carnivale

An Assistant Professor of fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge (but originally from Winnipeg where she cofounded Out Of Line Theater in 2003), the legend doesn’t say exactly when Mia van Leeuwen discovered Hroswitha of Gandersheim (c. 935 - c. 1002), nor her play entitled « Sapientia ». All we know is that this text, birthed by a Saxon secular canoness who lived in the seclusion of Gandersheim Abbey, is part of a corpus of six plays, the first composed dramas since antiquity to be written in the West (and thus to earn the title of history’s first woman playwright), the object of a challenge issued by an American feminist group called the « Guerilla Girls » to stage a play by this author (instead of yet another boring Greek tragedy). 

Mia van Leeuwen

Hroswitha of Gandersheim

            So, instilling this story with the formal « Object Theater » style, which she learned in Winnipeg, through which performers animate found materials instead of puppets and marionettes (here, for example, Emperor Hadrian will be represented by a coffee pot, his counselor Antiochus by a flashlight, Sapientia by a mirror, and her daughters by tea cups), it brings to the stage all the violence and cruelty towards early christians in a symbolic manner. Torture is indeed replaced/sublimated by the pealing of a fruit, blood letting by pouring of milk and strawberry juice, the crushing of bones by the smashing of cups. 

            I must admit having been thrown at first by this unique style. I was won over during the following talk between producer/actor Alison Darcy (who played Sapientia) and translator Lynn Kozak (a McGill associate Professor from the Classical Studies dept. who took the original text, in medieval latin, and translated it literally into modern English), putting this play within its historical perspective and demonstrating its highly subverted nature. 

            Of course, « Object theater », as a theatrical style, leaves the door open for the performers to instill « life » into the objects they manipulate. Which leads, (un)fortunately, to overplay their roles, with grandiose voices and stylized gestures while manipulating their avatars. Style which, at first, I had trouble with. But as the story moved along, and the « torture » scenes started, then the individual styles just faded behind the story. And the finale, opening the door to a multitude of interpretations, is highly inventive. Even the producer/actor Alison Darcy was surprised by the layers of interpretation her incarnation opened up, during the after-play question period. 

            So, in my view, to truly enjoy this play, it should be noted that a rich accompanying booklet would greatly enhance a spectator’s understanding of what will be shown during this performance. An in-depth explanation of « Object Theater », the history of Hroswitha of Gandersheim, the socio-historical setting of her life, her importance as the first female playwright. Because I doubt each show will be followed by such an outstanding discussion, between two highly versed (and involved) panelists.

            Here, before concluding this review, is a note to Scapegoat Carnivale. Your acknowledgement of the traditional and unceeded territory of the Kanien’hehá :ka is mandatory, of course ; but I fail to understand why you do not use the native nouns alltogether : you use Algonquin, where you should have used Anishinaabeg, and Huron-Wendat where you used Huron. Atikamekw, though, is OK. Respect is an all-inclusive deal. If you give it to some, you should give it to all, no ?

            So, to summarize, Sapientia, as an « Object Theater » typed play, is an interesting and deep performance, much more so that it seems at first glance. It would be a lot more appreciated, in my view, if spectators would come to this show with prior notions about both the play/playwright and the particular style involved. Much of the reservations one has to this novel way of staging a story would be ironed out with a (more) complete program. I am thus looking forward to the next project of this theater ensemble… maybe a thougher nut to crack, like Macbeth, perhaps ? 

            I am truly a new found fan. Congrats, Scapegoat Carnivale !