The Kaufman Kabaret slightly off-kilter

Exuberant. Avant-garde. Weird. Jarring. Noisy. Thought-provoking. Any of these words is an apt description of The Kaufman Kabaret, a show that guarantees you will not be bored.

Confused maybe. Based on the introduction of birth control into Canada, the audience at Studio Theatre’s world premiere of Hannah Moscovitch’s newest production was not permitted to indulge in superficial boredom.

As we enter this historically-based satirical drama, there’s a slightly creepy master of ceremonies sporting a German accent that looks as if he’s about to have sex with underage girls. Similar to a cabaret impresario, he speaks directly to the audience spitting out one pop culture reference after another.

After a few minutes of awkward spectacle, the contemporary performers morph into 1930s poverty-stricken factory workers and their suicidal wives lead a life as birthing machines.

The M.C. loses his accent and morphs into Alvin Kaufman, an Ontario factory owner who realizes that overly large families are a cause of grief in his employees’ lives.

Due to lack of nutrition, alcohol consumption and clean environments, babies are stillborn or come into the world with genetic defects – clubfeet, cleft palates and mentally challenged. Heart defects, epilepsy and tuberculosis are incurable and many starve to death.

He travels to New York, meets with Margret Sangster, a planned parenthood advocate. Using her contacts, he brings several birth control forms to Ontario and proceeds to distribute them.

This is another story of a rich man with an agenda helping the poor. Some families embrace his Good Samaritan intentions. Since distribution of birth control is illegal, others reject the products.

Everything comes to a head after Dorothea, one of his nurses who witnesses “disfigured bleeding and broken bodies give birth to children,” is arrested for distribution in the Catholic-dominant Quebec and tried in a court.

Throughout the 90-minute production, the sleazy M.C. interrupts the 1930s gripping narrative with a series of raunchy sexcapades that successfully alienate the viewer.

Director Kathleen Weiss slicks up the production, but a couple of her interpretations are questionable. For instance, why did the male lawyer and doctor lip-lock in a passionate kiss? This is a production about birth control, not gay rights.

As my companion pointed out, “Nowadays sexuality is like salt. People throw it on everything, even when you can do without.”

And the production’s last five minutes deliver an unexpected twist that misfires. Spoiler alert. The M.C. reveals that Kaufman was a eugenicist with implied comparisons to Hitler.

I am not in favour of eugenics, however Kaufman was never an evil exterminator. His intent was completely different and playing fast and loose with history to emphasize a point of view does little to educate the public.

The production chomps at the bit to have its training wheels removed for a grand adventure, and tries to strike a balance between drama, satire and humour. However, the scales are heavily tilted and the balance is off-kilter.

The Kaufman Kabaret will leave you deeply moved, shell-shocked and rife with questions. If anything, it’s a great conversation icebreaker.

In order to meet its deadline, the Gazette reviewed The Kaufman Kabaret on a preview night.