July 13, 2015
1438
What is life? And should a company claim to have a patent on it?
These are the over-riding questions in the Blyth Festival production of "Seeds" by Annabel Soutar, directed by Kim Collier.
The documentary play, which opened June 24, is a lengthy show, running almost three hours with a 15-minute intermission. It tells the story of Percy Schmeiser, the Saskatchewan farmer who was sued by Monsanto in the late 1990s, for growing a crop he claims he never planted.
David Fox (L) as farmer Percy Schmeiser in "Seeds";
photos by Terry Manzo
The story is told from the perspective of a pregnant young playwright who travels to the Town of Bruno to find out the truth. Unfortunately, what she discovers is that it's not a simple case of the strong, decent farmer facing off against the greedy, selfish transnational company. There are broader issues and some compelling insights that go straight to the heart of the matter.
David Fox is brilliant as Schmeiser with just enough crustiness and straightforward common sense to cut through all the lawyer-ese in the courtroom scenes which are amazing to watch.
Severn Thompson works well opposite Fox as the young playwright, recording and playing, and then replaying what has been said in her search for what is really going on.
They are joined by Keith Barker, Rachel Cairns, Jason Chesworth, Jeff Irving and Tracey Ferencz, who play a multitude of roles expertly, moving seamlessly from one scene to the other, from the fields to the offices, to the courtroom, to the farmhouse, to the laboratory, and back to the fields.
The set is quite compelling, performing as a backdrop for the action at one point, and then a screen for the projection a few moments later.
As the story races to the end, the audience is left wondering, as Schmeiser does: How can a farmer infringe on a patent when the patent is on the gene not the seed? And how can one company have a patent on life?
However, things take a strange twist as the playwright interviews other farmers in the area who bought into the Monsanto agreement and were growing the modified canola crop on their farms. They call Schmeiser a liar and a thief - not surprising in a one-industry town where few would fight the company that feeds them.
As Schmeiser takes his fight to the international arena, and to the Supreme Court of Canada, the audience is left wondering why the struggle? Why doesn't he just pay to grow the crop on his farm and carry on? What pushes him to continue the battle - is it integrity or notoriety or stubbornness?
"Seeds" is a difficult story, well told.
The show continues at Blyth Memorial Hall until Aug. 8. Tickets are available by calling Blyth Festival’s Box Office at 519-523-9300; toll-free at 1-877-862-5984 or on-line at blythfestival.com.
David Fox (L) as farmer Percy Schmeiser, with Severn Thompson as the playwright, in a scene from "Seeds"
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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