Review: THE DEATH OF A SWAN at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

The Death of a Swan, presented by Moth & Firefly Theatre Collective, opens with great promise. The apparent apparition of William Dorsey Swann (the first drag queen in America, played to perfection by Aurel Pressat) sets the stage for a history lesson. The protagonist, Evergreen (Canda-Leigh Habonimana), has opened “Verses and Vices”, a bookstore-slash-poetry café that hosts open mic nights for artists, providing a way for them to express their hopes, dreams, and challenges in a world where they don’t feel like they fit in. Raina (Moksha Singh-Sharpe) and Estelle (Julia (Jules) Graham) look up to Evergreen as an idealist, with innocent hero-worship.

Fast forward to around three years later and we see that the shop is struggling, even though Raina and Estelle still believe in its viability and purpose. But Evergreen is persuaded by a devil-like figure (Xander Sonnenburg) to convert the shop into a strip club, “Vices and Vices”. The agreement is conditional; however, unlike Mephisto who demands Faust’s soul in exchange for his heart’s desire, this stranger’s condition is that Evergreen must never doubt herself. Wait, is this supposed to be a bad thing? It is also unclear why this promise means that Evergreen must break all ties with Swann. Evergreen’s staff are subject to groping by the club’s patrons, but it is unclear whether they have chosen or have been forced to perform.

From here on out, the story becomes more confusing. There is not enough context to make sense of Swann’s warning that history is watching. What is the danger? What are the consequences? A dinner party concludes the play with an attractive tableau but provides no real insight into the story’s outcome.

Outside of Pressat, performances are uneven, and the dialogue is often overpowered by the show’s background music. Two wraith-like figures add some atmosphere, but do not contribute to the overall plot. This show could have had more substance, but the playwright verges into too many different directions to form a cohesive narrative. Personally, I would have liked to learn more about Swann, but the play did inspire me to find out more about this fascinating historical figure.

Ottawa Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. NEXT TO NORMAL (Elevator Theatre Company)

12.2% of votes

2. LEGALLY BLONDE (Carleton Musical Theatre Society)

10.7% of votes

3. THE PROM (Suzart Productions)

10.5% of votes

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