A Jaundiced Eye on Our Economic Climate

Instructions To Any Future Socialist Government Wishing To Abolish Christmas

Canadian actor, director, singer, musician Ted Dykstra has been a very busy man this season, with not one, but two plays on Montreal stages. He is currently appearing in one, and had directed the other.

While directing Eric Peterson in Billy Bishop Goes to War at the Segal Centre (written up here 2 weeks ago), he’d also been busily rehearsing and preparing for his own performance in the world premiere of Instructions To Any Future Socialist Government Wishing to Abolish Christmas. It’s an unwieldy title, but an intriguing one, nonetheless. The play runs until April 3 at the Centaur Theatre.

Playwright Michael Mackenzie is actually from Montreal. He has several writing, directing, and acting accolades under his belt, for both the stage and screen. The current play brings together at least 2 of the worlds that Mackenzie inhabits. With a background in economics and history, he brings what the media has been referring to as the current economic crisis or downturn to satirical light in this story of a hedge-fund manager whose world is about to come crashing down around him.

Mackenzie clearly casts a jaundiced eye on the economic climate, going back to the mortgage crisis in the US, the subsequent implosion of Lehman Brothers, and the cynical bids for billion-dollar bailouts.

Instructions To Any Future Socialist Government Wishing to Abolish Christmas is what they call a two-hander, starring the critically-acclaimed
Dykstra as hedge-fund manager Jason (opposite Gemma James Smith as his mentally unstable assistant). Dykstra is a veteran of the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival, he’s put in his time as a founding member of Soulpepper, and made a splash some years ago with his musical 2 Pianos, 4 Hands (with Richard Greenblatt). He’s got 30-plus years of Canadian film and television to his name, and sometimes collaborates with his wife, Canadian pop artist Melanie Doane.

The play runs until April 3 at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. For tickets call 514-288-3161.

The Centaur will be launching their new season in the coming days. Watch this space for details!