REVIEW | By Sheniz Janmohamed » Reading a collection of plays may seem tedious or uninteresting to some, but Janice Goveas’s Margaret in Search of Herself and Other Plays is not one of those collections.

A fascinating, enjoyable read, Margaret in Search of Herself and Other Plays takes the reader on a journey inside the mindset of many a conflicted character. From Margaret, a confused and wonderfully defiant woman, to Akbar, a cultured intellectual blinded by the pain and tradition, Goveas manages to create nuanced, believable characters.

Goveas’ strength lies in her insights and observations of human behaviour. She knows how to provoke her characters, she knows how they would respond to a question, she sees every expression and gesture.

What is lovely about the collection is that it carries just as much weight on the page as it would on the stage, which is a feat very few playwrights can achieve. Each play is strikingly different, and has its own charm. The most complex play is Margaret in Search of Herself, which takes an intimate look at a woman’s relationship with her parents, herself, and the men she loves (and loathes). Sometimes you admire Margaret, sometimes you’re disgusted by her—but that is what makes her authentic.

“Philomena Across Time” is a disturbing look at spousal abuse and its ramifications. Instead of giving the characters names, Goveas provides us with their ages. This is an interesting and effective technique because it suggests that the victims of abuse are often depicted as statistics, not individuals.

My personal favourite is Dinner with Akbar, a poignant exploration of the relationship between a father and daughter. Unlike many popular representations of South Asian dads, Goveas manages to provide the reader with a more realistic character: A father who loves and cares for his daughter, but is hurting from his own past, constantly grasping at the roots he’s left behind, regretting who he is in the present, nostalgic about the person he once was. Instead of taking the easy way out or dishing out ‘happy endings’, Goveas leaves the reader with questions, and forces us to think more deeply about our own relationships and perceptions.

If you want to read a collection of poignant plays, Goveas’ Margaret in Search of Herself and Other Plays is the collection. I can only hope that the plays will be staged, so I can see Goveas’ characters come to life.

This review by Sheniz Janmohamed appeared in the March 2009 issue of CityMasala.

Buy Margaret in Search of Herself and Other Plays here: www.inourwords.ca.

• Margaret in Search of Herself and other plays, by Janice Goveas, ISBN: 978-0-9809932-2-6, Price: $19.95 (USA and Canada), 148 pages, Published by In Our Words Inc. in association with A Type of Magic. Printed in Canada. To order, please visit: www.inourwords.ca