Provocative Adaptation Concludes Alberta Theatre Projects Season
Kit Sander's Wildwoman brings a raw, untamed conclusion to Alberta Theatre Projects' current season, presenting what the playwright describes as a decidedly adult version of a beauty and the beast narrative. While lacking the singing household objects of Disney's iconic 1991 animated film, this production delves into darker, more complex territory, exploring themes of power, survival, and transformation within the treacherous court of Henry II.
A Historical Figure Reimagined
The play centers on Catherine de Medici, who at just fourteen years old was brought to the French court to marry Henry II and secure the royal lineage. Synthia Yusuf, who portrays Catherine, emphasizes that this is not a production for younger audiences. "This is definitely not a play for children," Yusuf states, "and I wouldn't recommend bringing grandparents, maiden aunts or church-going friends. It's mature content."
Yusuf traces Catherine's journey from an eager, innocent teenager to a vengeful, malevolent woman in her forties. "It's an incredible journey and one that, as an actor, you rarely get to take," she explains. "With Catherine, I get to play a large portion of her journey, so I get to show how she transforms. I get to show how she developed. I get to be magnificent, and I get to be horrible. All in one evening. That's definitely rare."
Court Intrigue and a Caged Companion
The narrative unfolds within a court rife with dangerous political intrigue. Catherine must navigate the presence of Henry's older, longtime mistress and a scheming lady-in-waiting. A unique element is Pete, the king's pet—a caged man suffering from hypertrichosis, a condition causing excessive hair growth. This "wild man" becomes instrumental in unlocking Catherine's own latent wildness and survival instincts.
Yusuf conducted extensive research for the role, noting the historical context coincides with Henry VIII's reign in England and the Protestant and Catholic wars. "Not everything in the play is accurate," she clarifies. "This is not historical fiction. It is more of a snapshot of human nature. Like Macbeth, it is about the corrupting influence of power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we see that in how Catherine develops."
The Corrupting Nature of Power
The actress describes Catherine as a "morally complicated anti-heroine" whose innocence is gradually replaced by a love for extravagance, luxury, and jewels. Despite Catherine's often ruthless actions taken to survive, Yusuf admires "her fortitude and resolve. She took every means possible to survive. There is a lesson in that for all of us."
Yusuf notes the play's tonal range, describing it as both shocking and unsettling, yet also very funny, particularly in the first act. "The second act is heavier," she says, "but those silences are also very important. The audience is just reacting in a different way."
A Collaborative Production
Wildwoman is a co-production between Alberta Theatre Projects and Vancouver's Gateway Theatre, currently running at Calgary's Martha Cohen Theatre. Yusuf is joined by Nathan Kay as Henry II, Elizabeth Barrett as the scheming Kitty, Natascha Girgis as Henry's mistress, and Connor Suart as Pete, the court's wild man.
The production offers audiences a chance to witness a bold, theatrical exploration of a historical figure's descent into power, marking a powerful close to ATP's theatrical season and challenging conventional narratives about royalty, femininity, and survival.
