A Greedy Businessman Gets His Comeuppance in ICEMEN by Acclaimed Playwright Vern Thiessen

Governor General Award-winning playwright Vern Thiessen is up there with some of the most prolific artists in his field, with his plays being read and staged all over the world. The reasons for his continued success are plain to see on the page, or on the stage (rhyme intended), and he moves from strength to strength in his latest work. 

In ICEMEN (Playwrights Canada Press), we follow the story of a wealthy businessman who wakes up captive in a utility shed, and find that he has been taken by two of his employees, brothers Joe and Rennie, who are icemen that have made a living harvesting on Kempenfelt Bay before and during the Great Depression. But, as times get tough the invention of refrigeration threatens their livelihoods, and the both decide to take action against their greedy employers, who rake it in from all sides while other suffer and struggle.

The result is a riveting thriller that explores the cost of capitalism and the exploitation of the working class by the wealthiest in society. Even with Joe and Rennie taking such desperate measures against their bosses, the reader is left to ponder who the real criminals are in the story, and where the greatest guilt should lie.

Check out our Behind the Curtain playwrights interview with the author of ICEMEN, right here on Open Book!

Open Book:

What drew you to the setting of your play, and how did you go about creating it? 

Vern Thiessen:

This play was commissioned by Iain Moggach, then Artistic Director of Theatre by the Bay in Barrie, Ontario. He wanted a play about Barrie and the surrounding region. I was lucky enough to work with a historian to help me find a time in the city that appealed to my artistic instinct. The one I chose was the ice industry of the 1930s, which was huge business in Canada and the US at the time.

OB:

What was the most surprising or memorable moment or experience you had while writing this play?

VT:

Once I started the research, I was surprised at how similar the situation was for ice workers then as it is for gig workers now. And since the recent election in the US, the peril for these kinds of workers has grown even greater.

OB:

Did the script change in any way once you were rehearsing? 

VT:

I have never had a rehearsal in which there were no changes in the text. Every rehearsal process is slightly different, but one thing remains constant: You can't finish the play until you see it on its feet. And that, for me, has always demanded changes in the script. 

OB:

Are there other playwrights that you’ve been inspired by? What qualities in their work are you most drawn to? 

VT:

I am inspired by a wide range of writers, both ancient and contemporary. Some Canadian inspirations:  John Murrell for his use of poetic language, Colleen Murphy for her unflinching look at the human condition, Hannah Moscovitch for her provocative subject matter, and Yvette Nolan for her passion for community and culture.  I could go on! 

OB:

Do you feel your work has changed in any way through your writing life and career? If so, how? 

VT:

I can only reflect the world I currently live in, so yes, as I age, my look on life and the techniques I use to express it have changed. I think my work is becoming more political, and ICEMEN is an example of that. 

OB:

What about the theatre community and industry in which you operate? Are there changes you’ve observed there over the years?  

VT:

This question deserves a full essay for an answer! But in brief, I would say that the big changes I've seen in the last 10-15 years are in no particular order: The diversity of people writing for the stage has grown tremendously; the opportunities for playwrights to develop their work and hone their craft has dropped dramatically; and the huge leap in amateur and community theatres producing Canadian plays. Those organizations and groups, often outside of major centres, are going to keep the Canadian theatre alive.

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Vern Thiessen is one of Canada’s most produced playwrights. His plays have been seen across Canada, the UK, the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, and has been translated into five languages. His works include Of Human Bondage, Vimy, Einstein’s Gift (GG winner), Lenin’s Embalmers (GG finalist), Apple, and Shakespeare’s Will. He has been produced off-Broadway five times. Vern is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dora Mavor Moore and Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards for Outstanding New Play, the Carol Bolt Award, the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award, the City of Edmonton Arts Achievement Award, the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence, the Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition, and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, Canada’s highest honour for a playwright. He was also a finalist for the Siminovitch Prize in Playwriting. Vern received his BA from the University of Winnipeg and an M.F.A. from the University of Alberta. He has served as president of both the Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Writers Guild of Alberta. For six years he served as Artistic Director of Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre, one of Canada’s leading new-play companies.