Johnny Grant: which came first history or his story?
Daniel Martin and Dave Mott, co-founders of "Upintheair Theatre Society":http://www.upintheairtheatre.com/, bring us *Johnny Grant: A Rollicking Adventure Story*, the quasi-historical tale of the Martin’s real-life great-great-great grandfather John Francis Grant.
Grant was born in Alberta and died in Alberta but in between played a significant role in the development of Montana and Idaho, having interacted with both the First Nation and frontier communities. Grant accumulated a considerable estate, which included a hefty cattle fortune and a large family (a large family in those days likely added to ones estate).
He married seven times and fathered thirty children. Following the Oregon gold rush he moved his family to Manitoba, where he became a land trader. Although he was able to move within the Métis community he became a notorious opponent of Louis Riel. Martin and Mott construct their story from selections taken from Grant’s memoirs, focusing on the relationship Grant had with his father and with the First Nations.
Though it’s a two-man show, there is a wide array of complex characters, representing a cross section of Canadian society but with an emphasis on the First Nations. A simple stage and simple set form a backdrop for plainly clad actors to utilize puppetry, dance, parodies of Canadian history advertisements and a rollicking mimed-horse-chase scene to engage the audiences in this seventy-minute performance. Videography and exceptional sound design set the stage and scenery, which transport the audience from the Western frontier of the 1800’s, to the covert operations of Canadian secret agents, through to a modern day road-trip in an old RV. I am usually a skeptic when it comes to using multimedia to enhance a performance because I find it often overpowers (or turbo charges,) the overall theatre experience. With this production however, the large projection screen with video footage enhanced and clarified the plot. The relationship between the actors illustrated a gentle ease, respect for the others space, and total familiarity with the material. When a serious video glitch occurred, the actors seamlessly carried on until the computer rebooted, and the projection imagery was refreshed. Ironically, the audience enjoyed watching the actors stray from the rehearsed path and succeed in taking the theatrical road less traveled.
As Martin and Mott describe their piece, "Johnny Grant" is not only to be taken as a rollicking adventure; there is a deeper component: a historical lesson to be learned. The main characters, also named Dan and Dave, lead the audience through the concept of history from the various perspectives and prejudices of the parties involved in the colonization and formation of the True North. Dan and Dave question each other, the government, the self-concept of Johnny Grant, and the nature of truth and identity. They present the “fun, good, exciting side of Canadian history” as an engaging story lavished with crude jokes, “course” language (as the disclaimer reads when entering the theatre), and general political incorrectness (which they are very democratic about – they take a shot at everyone).
This piece is about history in the making – Dan and Dave encourage their audience – and each other – to question their personal connection to patriotism and ancestry and more importantly, what makes history? And which came first the hero or the history? Was Johnny Grant actually a great man, or was Johnny Grant merely a savvy entrepreneur made legendary by historical folklore?
Dan struggles with telling the true story of Grant's life without compromising his loyalty to his family lineage, while Dave’s practical rationale suggests that perhaps history and truth are more fluid than they seem.
_Directed by: Heidi Taylor; Created by & starring: Daniel Martin and David Mott; Video by: Jamie Nesbitt; Lighting Design by: Darren Boquist; Sound Design by: Joel De Stefano;Managed by: Jeremy Waller. It ran at the Playwrights Theatre. For more information travel_ "here":http://www.upintheairtheatre.com/.