Getting early details on a new Fringe play is not easy. Even this late in the game — six weeks before the festival — the new Kiss the Giraffe production is only in second rehearsals. The synopsis provided by writer Joseph Aragon does sound audacious enough to guarantee line-ups: “Conclave: The Musical is about a plot to blow up the Sistine Chapel during the papal election.”
High-concept stories come naturally to the playwright of 2004’s Bloodsuckers, about the development of a Dracula theme park in Transylvania, and last year’s Illuminati: The Musical, about far-flung conspiracy theories come to life. Bona fide crowd pleasers bursting with over-the-top song and dance numbers, Aragon’s Fringe musicals just beg the adjective “campy.”
“[Conclave] is the third in a series of big, huge cheesy musicals that I write just for the heck of it,” he says. Asked how Conclave compares to his previous two slices of Fringe fromage, Aragon says, “It’s got a little bit more of a satirical edge to it.” When I ask if the play takes on religion, Aragon thoughtfully considers his answer. “Well, I don’t know if I’m ‘taking on’ religion. I’m Catholic myself, so I’m not gunning for it. Even so, even Catholics get ticked off at the government once in awhile. So, it’s sort of my way to express my love/hate relationship with it.”
“By blowing up the Sistine Chapel,” I reply. “Subtle.” We both laugh before Aragon says, “It’s all about subtlety.”
Of course, we both know musical comedies are far from subtle. But they are enjoyable. That’s why Aragon enjoys working in the genre. Of his Kiss the Giraffe crew, including Fringe veteran Leith Clark returning this year as director, Aragon says, “To be surrounded during rehearsals by so many talented people, and having a lot of fun, that’s one of the main reasons why I’ve written these cheesy musicals for Fringes.”
Aragon does aspire to much more. In April, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS), where he mentored with highly regarded Manitoba playwright Brian Drader. At NTS, Aragon created heavier dramas: a play about Saint Teresa of Avila in purgatory, and a musical adaptation of a Renaissance romance novel written by Pope Pius II. I ask Aragon if it’s harder to appeal on an emotional level to audiences, rather than engaging them at the thinking level of humour — the shared references and context required to “get” the jokes.
“Many people say that writing comedy is hard, and it is hard. For me, writing comedy is relatively easier than writing drama, and trying to engage people on an emotional level is scary. You can write the most serious play in the world, and it can just come across as lame and maudlin and it can get laughed off the stage. If you do it right, if you’re honest with writing drama, if you’re genuine about it, then you have the hope of speaking to at least one other person in the audience.”
Suddenly self-conscious, Aragon laughs. “Now I’m getting all artsy and philosophical.” I assure him this is good stuff, and he goes on. “That’s what school does to you (laughs). What I learned is that if you’re sincere and authentic, and honest about the kind of stuff that you write, and if you have a genuine desire to share your thoughts and your feelings and your opinions, then your audience will respond to it.”
With his mastery of the musical already established, audiences are sure to respond to Conclave: The Musical at this year’s Winnipeg Fringe Festival.