Anatolia Speaks

Anatolia has prepared a slide show and a speech to tell her English as a Second Language (ESL) class the story of her life in Edmonton and how she arrived there from Bosnia. The class interrupts her with questions and she is pushed to tell parts of her story that might not otherwise been told. As the slide show progresses the audience gasps when a photograph appears with Anatolia in the picture. The audience has been confronted with the reality of this play.

 A powerful and painful story, Anatolia Speaks is an account of the genocide that was the Bosnia conflict from 1992 to 1995. It is not an easy story to hear but it is counter balanced by Anatolia's explanations of her new life in Edmonton, working at the Superstore and saving to buy a refrigerator. Candace Fiorentino never slips out of character and once the play is over leaves the stage not to return as the actress. Her acting and accent are so good that it is hard to believe that Anatolia is not real. This speaks to the excellent writing and direction by Kenneth Brown.

The photographs in the slide show look so authentic that the line between performance and realty is blurred, creating a profound effect.  At one point Anatolia leads the class, the audience, in a rendition of  the song You are My Sunshine as a battle cry for love lost and lives torn apart. I would have placed this sing along at the end of the play, leaving the audience connected. Regardless, the impact of Anatolia Speaks will stay with you, something all good plays should do.