Review: SNOW IN MIDSUMMER at the National Arts Centre

Snow in Midsummer is a fantastic play presented in a powerful format and is easily one of the best pieces of theatre I have seen in Ottawa this year.

The National Arts Centre’s English Theatre presentation of Snow in Midsummer is the Shaw Festival’s production of the play. Based on a thirteenth century story, The Injustice to Dou E that Moved Heaven and Earth by Guan Hanqing, Snow in Midsummer was adapted for the stage by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. The story is set in the town of New Harmony, a city that hasn’t seen precipitation in almost three years. Some people blame climate change, but others blame a curse set upon the town by a young woman who was executed for murder.

That woman, Dou Yi (Lindsay Wu), said she was wrongly accused and vowed, on the day of her death, that snow would fall from the midsummer sky and cover her corpse, and that a three-year drought would follow unless her name was cleared. Dou Yi’s prophecy came true, and the citizens of New Harmony are now increasingly desperate, as the last of their crops fail and starvation is imminent. To survive, people like Handsome (Michael Man) and his fiancé, Rocket (Jonathan Tan), talk of leaving town and starting over somewhere else where there are, literally, greener pastures. To put their plan into action, Handsome is about to sell the factory he owns to Tianyun (Donna Soares), an executive who came from nothing, but has managed to climb the corporate ladder. Things take a turn for the strange when Tianyun’s superstitious daughter, Fei-Fei (Eponine Lee), begins having dreams in which a “snow girl” appears and convinces Fei-Fei that she must uncover the truth about Dou Yi. To appease her daughter, Tianyun set out to solve the mystery and – just maybe – solve the town’s problems at the same time.

Snow in Midsummer is a murder mystery, a ghost story, and a post-apocalyptic drama all rolled into one. It seems impossible that these styles will work well together, but the story is so well crafted that each element is able to hold its own. 

Of course, the play is a metaphor cautioning the audience against the dangers of standing idly by instead of taking positive action to fight for justice and change. At the same time, it offers a glimmer of hope; one person can, through perseverance, right a wrong and we all have the power to make a difference. But even on its surface, Snow in Midsummer is a compelling piece of theatre; the dialogue, acting, stage, choreography, lighting, and effects work together to create an immersive experience where the audience becomes a participant in the action.

When Dou Yi’s sentence is being carried out, the audience forms part of the crowd attending the event. During that scene, Wu’s impassioned monologue had the audience on the edge of their seats. The entire cast gave incredible performances throughout the show. The lighting and sound design (Michelle Ramsay and John Gzowski) heightens the sense of drama and eeriness. Even though time shifts and flashbacks occur at certain points during the play, it is never confusing because of corresponding shifts in lighting. The costumes (Joanna Yu) range from hazmat suits to traditional Chinese dress, to modern business attire; props include cell phones, selfie sticks, and bamboo woven goods. These elements ensure that the piece feels timeless and, combined with the bits of magic that happen (thanks to Peter Fernandes), it truly feels like you are crossing into another realm.

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