A butcher and a poet are eating steak together…

Oddly enough, not the start of a joke, but a heartwarming scene from Benjamin Page’s All The Cows Are Dead. Directed by Will Dao, All The Cows Are Dead is a compelling and thought-provoking story about craft, destiny, and of course, meat. An udder-ly compelling story, with hum-worthy songs, All The Cows Are Dead is an unforgettable experience. This bovine beauty of a moo-sical will leave you hungry for more. And yes, I’ve milked these cow puns for all they’re worth!

Before we dive into the show, this production of All The Cows Are Dead, which is being held at Soul Provisions, has a special treat for those of us who are attending. If you arrive early before your performance, the folks at Soul Provisions have created a special menu catered to the play. I enjoyed The Butcher’s Board, a perfectly paired charcuterie plate which made for a delectable lunch before my matinee performance. There are three options available and I highly suggest taking part of this unique pre-show offering.

Anton has been a butcher his entire life, as was his father before him. He runs the front of his shop with a sense of elegance and charm, while behind the scenes it’s all about his reverence for the meat. His nephew Louis, fresh off the boat from fighting in the war, comes to live with him and become his apprentice. Louis is a poet…except he hasn’t written a poem yet. But he’s filled to the brim with ideas and feelings, if only he could write them down. Instead, he cleans the floors and learns the butcher’s trade. Will a life full of death and devouring fulfill Louis? Or will he finally run away and become the poet he’s always dreamed of being?

Page has created such delightfully opposite characters, which creates just the right amount of friction between the two of them to keep the audience enthralled. I love how Anton is able to wax poetical about something as morose as butchering beef, and yet poor Louis can’t seem to get his thoughts in order at all. Louis’ inner turmoil over his desires to be a poet being pushed aside for the practicalities of making money is one which many artistic folks face. It felt very validating to hear the same thoughts and worries as I’ve had expressed through this character. It always makes me wonder what artists we’ve missed out on because they felt the pressure to “get a real job” rather than follow their passions and make art.

Page’s music is like a love letter to Sondheim; the motifs and the way the characters express themselves has such a familiar feel to it. By the end, I found myself thinking “What in the Sweeney Todd am I watching?” In the best possible way, of course. The music is played live in the space with Page on the piano and Kyra Crilly on the cello. Paired with Talk Is Free Theatre’s signature audience inclusion, it makes All The Cows Are Dead into an immersive and intoxicating experience.

“Wouldn’t a play about a butcher be super gory?” I hear you asking. Why no, dear reader, it isn’t. While the actions implied by the text most certainly are, All The Cows Are Dead is stylized in such a way that there’s no need for a splash zone. Balloons of various shapes and sizes, some of which I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, are used to represent the various pieces of flesh which are dissected throughout the play. Aside from the occasion jump scare from a bursting balloon (which honestly, you can see these coming, I’m jumpy by nature), you’re able to enjoy the poetry and the music without losing your lunch or needing to get fake blood out of your clothes. Yet this use of balloons takes the show almost into the realm of the absurd, as our vital organs are replaced by air-filled rubber; it’s brilliant and requires far less post-show clean up.

Mike Nadajewski and Taylor Garwood are stellar in this production. I’ve watched Nadajewski perform for years at the Stratford Festival and I was thrilled to get to see him in such a different and enticing role. His charm shines through in Anton, and his powerful voice easily fills the space. Garwood brings a sincerity and vulnerability to Louis which makes him easy to fall in love with, and yet for the change we witness in him to also be a rather dramatic one. Garwood’s voice compliments Nadajewski’s beautifully, and when the two of them sing together it gives me goosebumps.

“This is how it should feel”

For me, this is how theatre should feel – riveting, enthralling, and all-encompassing. To feel transported to a world different from your own and yet to be able to find yourself in the humanity of the characters. I truly hope that All The Cows Are Dead will have many more lives after this sold-out run; I think that this level of Canadian talent, in all aspects of the production, deserves to be seen time and time again.

Unfortunately, this run of All The Cows Are Dead has sold out. But if you’d like more info and to see what else Talk Is Free Theatre is up to, check out their website: https://www.tift.ca/shows/all-the-cows-are-dead

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Cover Photo: Mike Nadajewski & Taylor Garwood. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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