“A wickedly razor-sharp script. Smartly directed and performed with courageous bravado.”

Performed in French in 2021 at Théâtre Duceppe to sold-out houses under the title ‘Manuel de la vie sauvage,’ Persephone Productions’ English-language premiere set in The Studio at Montreal’s Segal Centre begins like a Ted Talk.

The story begins with Kevin Bérard (Jonathan Silver), Quebec’s millionaire tech founder of Huldu. Bérard wants to share how we can win in our own lives. He plans to pull back the curtain on his own success and offers simple steps to remember.

Signs in the lobby proclaim, “You’re Here Because You Want to Win.” Audience members are given a lanyard to wear around their necks, with a Huldu logo on the front and the QR code on the back (the house programme.) The audience enters The Studio and sits in a three-quarter theatre in a round setting with a giant projection screen. On stage right and left are the logos for Huldu.

‘How to Survive in the Wild’ becomes a story of giant tech creations and cutthroat choices in developing an app for the Canadian market.

The app raises eyebrows; at least, it did for me.

Persephone bills this opening night performance as a social satire with an unexpected twist: we witness the creation of an app with existentially dangerous repercussions: an AI chatbot that allows us to communicate with those who have passed away through the digital trace they leave behind.

Indeed, the play does become a social satire. But there’s more, oh so much more, that can be considered dangerous territory in this Montreal-based tale. Catholic Christian moral and ethical implications strongly permeate this wickedly razor-sharp script. For those of us of the Faith, that’s called playing God and entering an unheard realm.

But it also makes for a terrific evening (or afternoon) of entertainment at the Segal Centre. ‘How to Survive’ remains a thinker of a play. That’s always good when audiences are encouraged to think through laughter or shock, whether uncomfortable or not. Audiences need to experience more of this instead of the traditional ‘feel good’ stories.

Designer Stavri Papadopoulou creatively places the story in a sleek 21st-century setting sharply accentuated by Chris Wardell’s focused lighting. The visual look the two have created is inviting yet stark and harsh, and it works gloriously.

Props and set pieces are moved on and off by the cast and some crew members efficiently. The desks and chairs are on roller casters, and there is no hint of a squeak. There’s a crispness behind Julian Smith’s sound design, and its impact is strong. I can forgive a couple of momentary lapses, however, because actor Jonathan Silver did not allow the sound miscue issue to distract from his performance.

Papadopoulou’s suitable costume choices aptly fit the characters. The women are smartly dressed, groomed, and coiffed, which gives the impression that they are assertive. There’s no messing around with these women, which becomes real as the story continues. The men are dressed a tad more comfortably than the women, which gives the impression that they appear to be secure in who they are and what they can offer in the giant corporate tech world. Does that seem a tad unfair? Perhaps, but one of the hard facts ‘How to Survive’ addresses is how men appear to have an edge over women in business.

Director and Translator Rebecca Gibian securely keeps the story’s pacing always grounded in credibility. The story never appears rushed. The audience experiences many emotions, from laughter, albeit uncomfortable, to potential concern and shock regarding the lack of the human element. The implications can become devastating for everyone involved.

This remarkable cast maintains a strong sense of commitment to tell the story with a gritty determination. Business is cutthroat in the corporate world. At times, there are no holds barred and be damned with any personal/familial relationships that have already been established in this production.

There’s a bold confidence in Jonathan Silver’s preppy looking from a wealthy family Kevin. Silver's performance also verges on the cocky, which ultimately comes back to bite him, big time. Nevertheless, his Kevin is likeable for the most part. He shares some valuable tips on how to survive and win in business, and who doesn't want that. Kevin also tells the audience that the success we might want in our lives might not be what we get. Take that piece of advice for what it’s worth. There’s both a positive and negative connotation.

Kevin’s university roommate and friend, Laurent (Noah Labranche), develops more of a victim complex rather than be seen as a loser in life. This is a relevant sign of the times in our 21st century when many around us have adopted this victim mentality. Yet Labranche adopts a quirkiness that makes him engaging. One can’t help but root for the guy, especially when Kevin sees about trying to recommend him to his boss, Carl (Brian Dooley). But can Laurent hang on to this job amid his insecurities? That realization must be experienced in person at the theatre.

Dooley’s Carl is determined, smarmy, and self-righteous. Yet he knows his stuff. He knows what he talks about. He’s seen stuff before and knows how to play the game. Dooley’s Carl plays hardcore in the first app Kevin develops for the company, which leads to an important lesson about relationships and money learned in the tech corporate world.

Oumy Dembele’s performance as lawyer Claude remains reputably sharp and witty. Her Claude can smell insincerity quickly and will use that to her advantage. I find it interesting that the female-identifying character uses a male name here. Is this intentional by playwright Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard?

As actress Camille, Lula Brouillette-Lucien's Camille (spokesperson for the Huldu company product) initially views her involvement with the app as another job and gig to fulfill. Her further involvement in the app's continued development leads to alarming discoveries.

Juliette Diodati’s Eve has had dalliances with Laurent and Kevin. With the former, she left him a mess as she played mind games with his head. With the latter, there is a hint that a relationship is going on, but it’s only for purely physical purposes with no human strings attached. Diodati remains decidedly sharp as a tack regarding the app's further development. She’s not cut-throat (although teetering on it), but she’s probably learned the hard way how to cope in what is still classified as a man’s world.

In a cameo appearance that has been taped, Pepita Capriolo is an adorable Italian Nonna who explains to the audience how business is conducted between Kevin, Laurent, Eve and Claude using an analogy of pasta sauce. It's hilarious. When one considers what Capriolo says in comparing the tech company to the pasta sauce, it surprisingly makes sense.

Final Thoughts: Two bits of advice Kevin shares with the audience still strike a chord: a) I became who I am today because of my failure, and b) Every human relationship is a transaction.

The first makes sense. The second intrigues me more regarding the word ‘transaction.’ Yes, there is the business sense of the word, but it also leads to further pondering of other connotations of the word.

‘How to Survive in the Wild’ is performed and directed with courageous bravado. As I left the theatre, I could hear others talking about what they had just seen.

That’s a sign of good theatre, and this one is good theatre.

Please go and see it.

Running time: approximately one hour and 40 minutes with no interval/intermission.

‘How to Survive in the Wild’ runs until September 29 in the Studio at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, 5170 Chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal. For tickets: (514) 739-7944 or visit segalcentre.org.

PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS presents
‘How to Survive in the Wild,’ the English language premiere of ‘Manuel de la Vie Sauvage’ by Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard

Directed and translated by Rebecca Gibian
Assistant direction by David Noël
Assistant direction by Adam Capriolo
Set and Costume Design: Stavri Papadopoulou
Sound Design: Julian Smith
Video and Lighting Design: Chris Wardell
Video Associate and Technical Director: Zachary Weibel

Performers: Oumy Dembele, Juliette Diodati, Jonathan Silver, Brian Dooley, Lula Brouillette-Lucien and Noah Labranche, Pepita Capriolo.

(Photo Credit: Emelia Hellman. Pictured Front: Jonathan Silver. Back (L-R): Noah Labranche, Lula Brouillette-Lucien, Juliette Diodati, Brian Dooley.)