Have a Blatz - if that's what you are into.

The Sonata of Beethoven Blatz by Armin Wiebe was much different than I had originally believed it would be. I have not been to many plays in my life, but of those that I had seen Miss Saigon probably had the most
Bawdy humour, and there wasn’t much. Thank God I, because it was a Christmas present to my mom.

I tell ya one thing I would be mortified if I had to watch this play with my mom. From the poison crotch to the almost violet “love” scene on the piano. I half expected the baby to be another nationality just to throw a bigger twist at the end.

People leaving in the middle of the play surprised me a little although I think a few may have left due to the religious content, and that it was being played with in a light religious manner. These are topics that don’t really bother me, but coming from a religious home I thought that could be offensive to some.


I do have a few criticisms of the play and following talk, mostly with the talk. I didn’t think that Wiebe did a very good job of explaining his inspiration, or the reason for some of the scenes and characters. Wiebe, I thought, referenced making decisions, because that was the story, or that is the character. I kind of wanted to know more about Susch and Beethoven. Did these two have a deeper connection other than being set up by Obrum. I thought that Obrum is kind of a unique thinker, so I wasn’t to surprised by his decision to procure Beethoven’s assistance, but (and this just may be because this was my first experience with live implied sexual content) I didn’t see Susch getting so into it - or at least not so hardcore. And I half expected Beethoven to lose interest half way through, and jump back on the piano, and then maybe get back to work.

I thought the actors did a great job with a script that they really brought to life, and Wiebe for making the dialogue unique, while not leaving those of us that had trouble with the dialect changes behind not fill in blanks throughout the story.

Overall I thought the play was very entertaining, but there is something about weird love triangles that creep me out a little. Maybe I’m just over sensitive.