It乌鸦传媒檚 difficult to discuss the history of arts and culture in Vernon without coming across the name Sveva Caetani.
Her role in crafting the city乌鸦传媒檚 artistic community is unparalleled, and in celebration of her life, Powerhouse Theatre shares her story in Sveva, running at the theatre Oct. 18-28.
For the original play, as part of their Canada 150 celebrations, Powerhouse Theatre brought in professional director Kevin McKendrick and playwright Janet Munsil to create the exclusive production.
乌鸦传媒淭he play itself, like most good plays, is about relationships,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said, adding that the play follows not only Caetani乌鸦传媒檚 relationship with the community, but her relationship with her family as well.
Sveva was uprooted from Rome in 1921, when her father Leone 乌鸦传媒� an Italian nobleman 乌鸦传媒� sought to escape Mussolini乌鸦传媒檚 fascist regime, bringing his daughter Sveva and his mistress Ofelia Fabiani.
乌鸦传媒淪ome say he spun the globe and his finger landed on Vernon,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said, adding that Leone was an avid hunter who had visited the beautiful British Columbian backwoods prior to the Caetanis乌鸦传媒� relocation.
However, not all members of the family were so thrilled.
乌鸦传媒淥felia wants nothing to do with Vernon,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said.
To satisfy Ofelia乌鸦传媒檚 highfalutin tastes, the family visited home often, until money became tight and they could no longer afford the luxury trips.
Sveva and Leone were close until his death in 1935, when suddenly Ofelia and Sveva乌鸦传媒檚 relationship took a turn.
乌鸦传媒淎 really big part of the play is the relationship between a mother and daughter,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said. 乌鸦传媒淲hen Sveva乌鸦传媒檚 father dies, Ofelia kind of guilts her into staying home.乌鸦传媒�
Then a young adult, having recently lost her father, Sveva was condemned to a life of solitude, spending the majority of her time in her family乌鸦传媒檚 wooden home on Pleasant Valley Road.
乌鸦传媒淔or 24 years, she乌鸦传媒檚 like a house prisoner. All she has is her books. Her mother won乌鸦传媒檛 even allow her to paint,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said. 乌鸦传媒�Divine Comedy was an important book for her father. When he died, he told her to learn this book.乌鸦传媒�
After more than two decades spent indoors with little connection to the outside world, Ophelia passed away and Sveva left home. She乌鸦传媒檚 42-years-old with no money and no education, but she could reconnect with her love of art.
Utilizing her newfound freedom to paint and a worldview forged from literature, Sveva went to work and her series of 56 large-scale paintings Recapitulation was born.
乌鸦传媒�Recapitulation chronicles Sveva乌鸦传媒檚 take on hell, purgatory and heaven,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said, adding that a partial inspiration for the series stemmed from her father乌鸦传媒檚 love of Dante Alighieri乌鸦传媒檚 Divine Comedy. 乌鸦传媒淪he has a worldview through literature and her imagination. She was able to access her imagination like most can乌鸦传媒檛. (It乌鸦传媒檚) discovering the artist in you by looking at the world through a lens that乌鸦传媒檚 a little bit wider.乌鸦传媒�
In time, Sveva reconnected with the community and eventually pursued an education and became an art instructor in Lumby.
Wrought with hardships and familial obligation, Sveva follows themes of coping with dysfunction in families and our relationships with ourselves and our community.
乌鸦传媒淲hen we do encounter diversity, how do we handle those waves?乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said. 乌鸦传媒淪ome react with fear and some are more mystified.乌鸦传媒�
In our world of immigration and the ongoing refugee crisis, Sveva乌鸦传媒檚 story is just as relevant as ever, McKendrick said.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e faced with a situation today where we have strangers in our midst that we乌鸦传媒檙e trying to come to terms with,乌鸦传媒� he said.
And it乌鸦传媒檚 a message that is woven throughout the Powerhouse production.
乌鸦传媒淭heatre at its best should provoke yet entertain. The piece should be provocative, not just in subject matter but how it乌鸦传媒檚 shown,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said. 乌鸦传媒淲e certainly have a diet for entertainment in the form of television and movies that tell us what to think. In theatre, you make your own decision on what乌鸦传媒檚 right and what乌鸦传媒檚 wrong. If people don乌鸦传媒檛 come out of that going, 乌鸦传媒榃ow, it moved me,乌鸦传媒� if that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 happen, we乌鸦传媒檝e missed the mark. But we have been working hard to ensure that happens.乌鸦传媒�
Despite the biting message, McKendrick said at its core, theatre is still a form of entertainment.
乌鸦传媒淭he play that Janet has given us is highly impressionistic. As a viewer, you just have to come and experience it,乌鸦传媒� McKendrick said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou乌鸦传媒檙e never going to understand everything about life, it乌鸦传媒檚 too complex乌鸦传媒� It乌鸦传媒檚 not a traditional play even though it has traditional elements.乌鸦传媒�
Boasting a 20-person cast with performers ranging from ages eight to 78, Sveva is a local story that showcases local talent.
And for Sveva, that was the ultimate goal: bringing art back to the community.
乌鸦传媒淎rt doesn乌鸦传媒檛 have to be inaccessible. Art is in our watches and our dinner plates. Art isn乌鸦传媒檛 something we should be afraid of.乌鸦传媒�
Powerhouse Theatre presents Sveva Oct. 18-28, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinees Oct. 22 and Oct. 28. Tickets are available for $28 for adults and $22 for students from the Ticket Seller, 250-249-7469, .
