Christine Horne and Susan Coyne. Photo Credit: John Lauener.
PTA (Parents, Teachers Animus)
by Cassie Muise
“Between the Sheets” is a fast-paced, high-stakes production about a parent-teacher interview gone wrong. When walking into the theatre, we are transported back to school. Indeed, the details of the classroom we see before us – the alphabet in large swooping letters, children’s art on the walls, and a break-down of the day including two “nutrition breaks” – is meticulously crafted and might actually be the set up from my third grade classroom. The specificity of this set helps to draw one in immediately, making the awkward opening music, assumedly designed to create tension, unnecessary. Kelly Wolf’s set with the words “Parent Teacher Interviews” glaring at you on the chalk board set us up just fine.
Jordi Mand has written an interesting, thought-provoking piece. I sincerely hope to see more work from her. As a new writer, her use of language is impressive. Having many family and friends who are teachers, I was impressed with the flow and “teacher jargon” sprinkled throughout the play. Being a teacher is more challenging than ever, and it is difficult to accurately capture their style of communication. Christine Horne gives a beautiful, complex, and natural performance as Teresa, the passionate Grade three teacher.
To me, this play had many opportunities to delve into more interesting, innovative ground. When the play focused on current topics, I found it absolutely enthralling. It excited me. We don’t really talk about the challenges teachers face when dealing with parents. Often, teachers are helpless as school Boards cater more and more to pushy parents, with the onus on the teacher to make miracles happen. They are often held responsible for student failure, lack of work ethic, or even a child who has needs they can’t address in a class setting. I loved when the play was about a parent bullying a young, newer teacher, the ridiculous expectations parents have when it comes to their children (like discussing university as early as grade three), the unfortunate, if inevitable comparison between children in the classroom, and especially the discussion on how children with special needs are often left helpless due to stubborn parents, unwilling to see their child “treated differently”. These topics moved me. What right does a parent have to decide on teaching style if their child is diagnosed with autism? Or ADD? What is the teacher's role, as a facilitator, and guide, in assuring they learn the way that is best for them? And why don’t we talk about the fact that the system now isn’t working for many students?
Unfortunately, this play focused instead on an affair, and had the two women pitted against each other. Quite frankly, it was disappointing. It is difficult to watch two people essentially argue for an hour; even if those two people are actors as capable and talented as Christine Horne and Susan Coyne. As a woman who loves Nightwood Theatre and their mandate, I left wishing that this play wasn’t just another play about two women fighting over a man. Not to mention I was disappointed that they indulged in already prominent stereotypes of successful women; I hated Coyne’s character from the moment she walked in. The professional attire and her imposing nature were enough to communicate to me that this woman was a strong, professional, businesswoman. But her harsh, rude approach off the top cemented my dislike of the character. Coyne won me over eventually, but I felt it was a disservice to the women who sacrifice so much of their personal lives to compete in industries which still favour men. To portray her as businesswomen are always portrayed; heartless, pushy, and stubborn is lazy.
Eventually, of course, they find common ground. There are touching moments in their revelations to each other. But overall, it was simply not as interesting or powerful as when the focus was on their actual relationship; parent vs. teacher.
