The Art of War
By Mary Alderson
In 2000, playwright Yvette Nolan visited the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, and happened to notice a display of art which depicted Canadian soldiers in World Wars I and II. “What? We sent painters to war?” Nolan asked. Who knew?
Well, apparently talented young artists knew they were needed to document the war. They packed sketch pads and pencils, or paint brushes, canvas and easels. Off they went with the Canadian army to fight for their country. Canada had asked them not only to take on the enemy, but also create a record of the war with their art. And yes, there were photographers there too but it is these artists who captured Nolan’s interest.
The idea of writing a play about war artists percolated in her mind for awhile and finally she put her thoughts on paper and created a play. It was ready to be produced but then Covid hit and it was delayed. Finally, the play premiered in Saskatoon in 2023. It had a four-day run in Saskatoon, around Remembrance Day. Word spread about this play. Two years later and Nolan, along with director Keith Barker, brought their show to the Studio Theatre at the Stratford Festival.
Nolan learned that Canada’s well-known artist, Alex Colville was originally a war artist. He took a sketch pad to the front lines to capture the moment. Later, he painted the scenes that he had sketched. When the war ended, Colville was asked by the Canadian army to go to the Nazi death camps and paint scenes there. His painting of emaciated corpses in a pit is haunting. One wonders how that affected him afterwards. Nolan says there is a character in the play with post-traumatic stress disorder, although they didn’t have a name for it at the time.
Out of her research, Nolan created the character, Nick, who is tasked with capturing images of war. Nick is played by Josue Laboucane. There are a total of six characters in the play, played by five actors.
Nolan says that the images in this art can tell Canadians who they are. Her play is set in the early 1940s at the height of World War II in Europe. Canada was fighting Germany, trying to hold them back from occupying more countries, as the fighting spread across Europe. “This art was part of our nation building; we were such a young country. This is how we became Canada,” she explains. The war art tracked that journey. She believes that war art shows Canada as a country coming into its own. “The artists are responding to the sacrifice that was made,” she adds.
Nolan says that the story in her play can tie in to what is happening today. “We are Canada. We are a sovereign nation. Elbows up!”
Whether the paintings glorified war or showed the horror of war, they came back to Canada to tell a tale. Other than the canvas now collected in museums, the story of these artists might remain unknown to many. Even for those who know the story, it could well fade away. The Art of War is a play to ensure the artists cannot be forgotten.
The Art of War is in previews starting August 1, with the opening night August 20. It continues in repertory at the Studio Theatre until September 27.
Photo: Josue Laboucane as Nick, The Art of War. Stratford Festival 2025. Photo: Ted Belton.