Idea Of North, The

A little-known side of the reclusive Canadian pianist Glen Gould is his series of radio documentaries, "Solitude Trilogy," for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the 1960s. Michael John Carley has transformed Gould's first installment, The Idea of North, about the experiences of five people in Canada's northernmost reaches, into a captivating stage piece. Skillfully differentiating between the various interviewees and Gould himself by subtle changes in voice, timing and body language, Carley operates within the bounds of typical Canadian reserve, but not without compensating (and equally Canadian) wit.

For the original broadcast, Gould created a highly unique composition of overlapping voices and near poetic thoughts. Carley has worked long and hard to clarify the radio classic for live audience, but it his sympathy for the different speakers -- including a train engineer, a nurse and a researcher -- that makes the evening so engaging. The presenting team is equally adept at adding context. Steven Rattazzi's direction is tight but elegant.

The sound design by Lorne Tulk (a frequent Gould collaborator on the engineering side), along with Carley and James Rattazzi, ties the setting to the Winnipeg-Churchill train link between northern and southern Canada, while Lenore Doxsee has supplied clever projections in the same vein. Although lighting cues are few, they are precisely calibrated. Stage furniture is basic black, but Sarah Edkins indulges in an exquisite snowy backdrop.