Theatre review: The Real McCoy at GCTC in Ottawa

THE REAL MCCOY, written and directed by Andrew Moodie, is inspired by the life of Elijah McCoy, born to runaway slaves in Ontario in 1844.  Showing intellectual promise, he was sent to study engineering in Edinburgh, Scotland.  On his return he settled in Michigan where he struggled against 19^th century prejudice, despite his invention of a still-used lubricating process that revolutionized steam engine travel.  He ended his life with 57 patents to his name.  As playwright Moodie says, "This is not the real Elijah McCoy. . . . I have mixed truth and fiction to tell a story. . . . It's about being authentic."

Speaking of authentic, this ensemble cast certainly is.  Maurice Dean Wint, the only cast member to play a single role, plays Elijah with both authority and sensitivity.  He has wonderfully expressive hands.  Kevin Hanchard is excellent as the young Elijah and as Don Bogey, Elijah's Michigan friend. 

Marcia Johnson and Ordena Stephens-Thompson shine in multiple female roles.  Playing all the white characters, Bruce Beaton and Darren Keay do a terrific job especially in their scenes as sparring brothers.  Mr. Beaton is exceptional as William Rankine, Elijah's Scottish professor.  Last but certainly not least is Ardon Bess as Elijah's father, a strong, proud and loving parent who is unable to adjust to his son's mental growth.  These are all very strong and believable actors.

Steve Lucas has designed a versatile set that works well for the many locations.  Center stage there's a large raised parquet square with a screen above that is used periodically for projections of both Elijah's inventions and scenic touches.  On either side of the square are small wooden structures similar to bus shelters that serve as rooms or backdrops.  The only furniture pieces are several square boxes with padded tops and a surprisingly versatile trunk.  Mr. Lucas has also done a nice job with the lighting, particularly the dappled light on the wooden roofs.

Julia Tribes's costumes are excellent and well thought out, as the actors have many lightning-fast changes done onstage behind the wooden shelters.  I would imagine Miss Tribes had a very high Velcro budget.

Andrew Moodie's direction belies the theory that playwrights should never direct their own plays.  He's helped his excellent cast mine the depths of the characters and reveal both the humor and pain of his script.  His staging is creative and, although the ice skating scene is a bit over the top, the transition from the young Elijah to the older, the auto accident and especially the final scene are all very clever and effective.   This is a strong production of a strong script about an engineer who attempts to, as the play says, ". . . pry loose the hands of God."

Since GCTC has moved from the Italian section to the new Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, pizza no longer seems appropriate for rating.  So, on a scale of one to five the GCTC/Factory Theatre of Toronto joint production of THE REAL MCCOY gets four and five-eighths solar panels.  For North Country Public Radio I'm Connie Meng.