Clark Joe - 1979

Also by Michael Healey Cour ageous The Draw er Boy Ge nerous The Innocent Ey e Test Kicked The Nu ttalls Plan B Proud Rune A rlidge with Kate Lynch: The Road t o Hell To the memory of Allan Lawrence, P C, QC. A principled and generou s man. Co ntents Production H istory 1979 premiered at the Martha Cohen Theatre, Calgary, in a production by Alberta Theatre Projects on April 6, 2017, with the following co mpany: Actor A: Christophe r Hunt Actor B: Jamie K onchak Joe Clark: Philip Riccio Director: Miles Potter Production Dramaturg: Laurel Green Set and Projection Design: Scot t Reid Lighting Design: David Fraser Costume Design: Jennifer Ars enault Sound Design: Thomas Geddes Stage Manager: Patti Neice The Great Canadian Theatre Company, in co-production with the Shaw Festival, presented the play in Ottawa on April 13, 2017, with the following co mpany: Actor A: Kell y Wong Actor B: Mari on Day Joe Clark: Sanjay Talwar Director: Eric Coates Set and Lighting Design: Steve Lucas Costume Design: Jennifer G oodman Sound Design: Keith Thomas Stage Manager: Allan Te ichman The production then transferred to the Shaw Festival, opening in the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, on October 1, 2017. Notes The play can be staged with as few as three a ctors. If three actors are used, one plays Joe Clark throughout. The other actors alternate entrances, and the distribution breaks down like this: A ctor A C rosbie C rosbie T rudeau Mac Donald C rosbie Mac Donald Byrne A ctor B La wrence Mac Donald McTeer Mu lroney Harper Harper Char acters Prime Minister Joe Clark John C rosbie Allan La wrence Flora Mac Donald Pierre Elliott T rudeau Maureen McTeer Brian Mu lroney Stephen Harper Jenni Byrne S etting The setting is the prime ministers office in the Centre Block of Parliament Hill.

Its December 1979. Theres a door upstage centre, a desk, a chair or two, a credenza. Another door leads off left, behind the desk. Wood panelling if the design is that extensive; if so, it should seem oppressively woodywooden shutters on windows, wood cabinetry: wood wood wood. Sce ne One Music off the top: Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, by Bruce Springsteen. The live version from the Hammersmith Odeon concert in 1975.

Proje ction: Joe Clark was elected Canadas 16th prime minister on June 4, 1979. His was the first Progressive Conservative government in 16 years. Proje ction: The Right Honourable Joe Clark. Prime Minister Joe clark enters through the upstage door. He wears a three-piece corduroy suit that is resolutely, emphatically, brown. Proje ction: Joe Clark was just 39 years old when he was elected Prime Min ister.

He seems calm. Hes under some stress, and the veneer of calm is maintained through an enormous act of will. The following action is as close to an expression of anxiety as we will see for some time: He removes his suit jacket, balls it up, and rubs his face with it, vigorously. He throws the suit jacket in a c orner. Proje ction: His government, when elected, was 6 seats shy of a maj ority. After a moment, he looks at the suit jacket with regret, retrieves it, and puts it on.

The sleeves are too short for his arms, as if adolescence isnt quite done with him. His long fingers taper and flatten until they are practically two-dimensional by the tips. Even when he gestures emphatically, the energy fails to flow to the ends of his hands and the effect is this: he often looks like hes holding an invisible Coke can when hes making a point. His laughUh Uh Uh!is unique and immediately identifiable. Its the only part of clark s persona the actor playing him should try to emulate. clark sits at the desk. clark sits at the desk.

The music cont inues. Proje ction: Wednesday, December 12, 1979. John crosbie enters. Its impossible to hear the following conversation because of the music. Proje ction: John Crosbie, Minster of Fi nance. clark: John. crosbie: I was just about to go home, and I walked past the Liberal Christmas party clark: Right. crosbie: Fucking greasy John Turner slides out, drunk as fuck, and as Im wishing him a merry Christmas hes pointing at me and lau ghing. clark: Right. crosbie: And also sneezing. crosbie: And also sneezing.

Hes fucking getting wet all over me, and laughing, and I come this close to hauling off and I dont know what. I told him what I thought of that shit he pulled in committee, you know, getting all of our witnesses held over to next year even though theyd all come from all over hells half acre to get here, and hes just standing there, staring at me wetly. But so, then, Eugene Whelan comes out, takes one look at me, one look at Turner, then gets a panicked look all over his face and drags Turner back in. I swear to God, I think something s up. clark: John Proje ction: The day before, December 11th, the Conservatives had finally introduced their first budget. crosbie: You dont think theyd be stupid enough toI mean, Im telling ya Its that fucking gas tax; they all fucking hate it so much, and people are gonna hate it too, which I tol d you clark: Okay, John crosbie: I mean, Christ! I know the plan is to govern like we won a majority, I agree with that strategy, but what if we have to fight an election in a years time? Proje ction: It was a controversial document. crosbie: You dont think theyd be stupid enough toI mean, Im telling ya Its that fucking gas tax; they all fucking hate it so much, and people are gonna hate it too, which I tol d you clark: Okay, John crosbie: I mean, Christ! I know the plan is to govern like we won a majority, I agree with that strategy, but what if we have to fight an election in a years time? Proje ction: It was a controversial document.

In spite of the governments minority status, it included several harsh and divisive measures. Short term pain for long term gain is how Crosbie described the budget when presenting it to the House. And whats this I hear about you not doing any fucking polling? Is it trueSinc Stevens tells me this goddamn government cant even get its shit together to put a simple goddamn fucking poll in the field? clark: What? crosbi e: Eh? clark: I didnt quite crosbie: what ? clark: Did you say something about Sinc Stev crosbie notices the music for the first time. crosbie: What the fuck crosbie strides around the room, looking for the source of the music. He discovers a stereo system behind a wood panel. clark: Hey. clark: Hey.

I was listening to that. crosbie: And then, Trudeau walks out. They gave him a fucking chainsaw as a Christmas fucking gift. Little pecker starts waving it at me. clark starts rummaging through the desk dr awers. Joe . Joe .

Joe! He keeps looking through his dr awers. clark: Yes, John? crosbie: Is any of this getting th rough? clark: Ive got to be honest, I missed most of it. But I get the gist. crosbie: Y ou do. clark: Sure. crosbie : And? clark: And what, John? crosbie: And what the fuck are we going to do? A pause while clark rum mages.

You know what I think? I think theyre getting set to defeat th e bud clark has found a remote and hits a button, restoring the music. The following is inau dible. clark: I know. I think you may be right. Look at this. clark: (handing crosbie a paper) This is the NDP subamendment to the Liberal confidence m otion. crosbie reads. crosbie reads.

He gets pink. crosbie: Those fuckers. I dont get it. Those fu ckers . clark sits. crosbie paces.

They cant force an election. Trudeaus quit. Theyve no leader. How in the hell do they expect to conduct a cam paign? clark: This isnt concl usive. crosbie: This isnt what? clark: Its not proof. It could mean anything.