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A Maritime family's tragedy, set in a raging storm. Cast of 2 women and 5 men.
A propos de l'auteur
Born in London, England, Michael Cook began writing plays during the 50s while serving in the British army in Europe and the Far East. He studied teaching and drama at Nottingham University in the early 60s and emigrated to St. John's, Newfoundland in 1965 where he began directing plays and teaching at Memorial University. He wrote over fifty plays, many of them exploring Newfoundland's history and culture-the most notable of which,
Jacob's Wake, was published in 1975. The following year, after moving to the remote outport of Random Island, Cook wrote the dramas collected in
Tiln & Other Plays (1976). In the 1980s Cook divided his time between Newfoundland and Stratford, Ontario, where he was playwright-in-residence in 1987. Michael Cook moved back to St. John's shortly before his death at the age of 61.
Résumé
Jacob's Wake explores the relationship of a father, Winston, with his three sons, Wayne, a corrupt politician, Alonzo, a cynical business man, and Brad, a failed priest. It quickly moves from an apparently realistic family drama to nightmarish, expressionistic drama of 20th century failure as an approaching storm begins to dominate the stage. Once again, ritual lies at the heart of this play; Cook establishes clear patterns of behaviour that are transgressed and broken by the gathered family. The whole play, not merely the last few moments, is a wake, specifically for Jacob, the lost son of the title, but more generally for Newfoundland.
A Maritime family’s tragedy, set in a raging storm. Cast of 2 women and 5 men.
