Jun. 09, 2010 - Issue #764: Hot Summer Guide 2010

Revue

Into the limelight

Fresh theatrical talent presents itself at Nextfest

Nextfest's 2010 theatrical offerings are a diverse spread, covering a comedy about lies, existential angst, man versus woman versus nature and more. And, in addition to the shows reviewed below, there's IRL: In Real Life, which has a sole showing, 6 pm Saturday at the Roxy, and The Enbridge High School Plays, a trio of shows collecting young talent, curated by Laura Raboud.

Reviews by David Berry (DB), Lewis Kelly (LK) and Mel Priestly (MP)


Call Me a Liar
Written by Doug Hoyer, Vanessa Lever
Directed by Taylor Chadwick
Starring Ellie Heath, Hoyer, Lever
4 stars

This irreverent and highly entertaining performance delves into the many dimensions and examples of lying. It feels a bit like a scripted improv piece, with various sketches flowing seamlessly into each other. Slipping effortlessly between characters, Ellie Heath and Vanessa Lever both depict and comment on various liars: a devout Christian preacher, Hitler, chatroom denizens, Rahim Jaffer and guest stars on Oprah. Doug Hoyer helps ease these transitions, and create a fitting mood, by strumming a few bright guitar melodies throughout. Though its several pop culture references will quickly become dated, most of them could be updated regularly—and these are interspersed with more timeless examples of lying, giving the play a broad appeal. Stepping out of character to give each actors' own personal confession of "today's lie" rounds out this fun romp through the world of dishonesty. (MP)

Characters & Violence
Written by Kyle Hinton
Directed by Ben Janko
Starring Liam Coady, Laura Nichol, Ben Stevens
4 stars

Though Characters & Violence opens like a classic film noir detective story, it quickly becomes an exercise in cheekily dismantling the fourth wall and dissolving the barriers between art, artist and art criticism. Liam Coady delivers a competent, if a little faltering, performance as an amnesiac detective; however, he is overshadowed by Ben Stevens' memorable portrayal of a curmudgeonly, washed-up academic and playwright, plagued by the incessant voice of his dissertation (embodied by Laura Nichol): that "bitch" he created "to get [his] PhD." Though at times it becomes uncomfortably heavy-handed and pedantic, the script's high aspirations are admirable; with a little more finesse this could really shine. (MP)

The DIRTYdownward
Written, directed and performed by Jozel Bennett, Kitt Nova
3 stars

From the moment their strollers collide, Judi (Kitt Nova) and Bijou (Jozel Bennett) present vivid, if a touch overacted, characterizations of stereotypical latte-swilling, yoga-practising, West Coast suburban housewives. Vapid, needy and manipulative, Judi's interactions with the hesitant and naive Bijou become increasingly uncomfortable and provoking. Though the performance is rather slow, it holds the audience's attention through this air of increasing tension and frustration. The end is regrettably predictable, but the lack of real resolution to the characters' deep dissatisfaction hits home as being uncomfortably real. (MP)

The Juvyline Cubangbang Show
Written by Jake Prins
Directed by Katie Hudson
Starring Stuart Hoye, Jessica Peverett, Nikolai Witschl
3 stars

The Juvyline Cubangbang Show illustrates the fragile nature of art: if all aspects of a work except one function, the piece as a whole can still collapse. In this case, a needlessly obtuse script saddles the production with a plot denser than cement that thickens about as quickly. (Actually, considering the nature of its narrative, Juvyline's placid pace might be an ill-advised intentional conceit.) Jack, played by Stuart Hoye, sits in his room and grapples with heartbreak and existential angst throughout the play—timeless themes, sure, but handled with too little consistency and maturity here. Still, the occasional zinger elevates the dialogue a touch, and polished acting and production keep the play from derailing completely. Also, it gets an extra bonus star for featuring a zombie-cowboy lightsaber fight and not one but two cardboard guitars. (LK)

Paula & Strom
Written by Elena Belyea, Will Barbery
Directed by Jessica Abdallah
Starring Adam Cope, Perry Gratton, Rachel Victoria Steele, Fay Stollery, more
2 stars

There's a lot going on in this play about an affair between a housewife and the man who's come to soothe the living fixtures in her house that's sort-of narrated by his dead cat (phew). But it has trouble all adding up, and the wit of the performers and temperamental bookcases can only carry so much: both the love story and the more fantastical elements feel a bit underdeveloped or incoherent. This is the rare young work, though, that would probably benefit from more space and time: there are interesting seeds here, they're just not given enough room to reach full bloom. (DB)

ROMP
Written and performed by Lisa Amerongen, Paul Blinov, Joel Lucius, Colin Matty, Tim Mikula, Hannah Spear
Directed by Arlen Konopaki
3 stars

They lean a little bit hard on base humour, but when this group of Rapid-Fire-Theatre-regulars-turned-sketch-troupers gets funny, they can really bring it: an angry boss trying to figure out why he had to poo that morning and a pair of ditzy teenagers arguing about Shakespeare are nothing but hilarious, and there's a sharp kind of absurdism in the typical Whyte Ave bar star engaged in conversation with a duck or a mime abandoning his pregnant girlfriend. As with most nascent sketch shows, it's a bit hit or miss, but the hits are sharp enough that you should keep an eye out for ROMP in the future. (DB)

THE SURVIVAL OF PIGEONS As Studied by Human Lovers
Written by Jon Lachlan Stewart
Directed by Vincent Forcier
Starring Sereana Malani, Ben McIvor
4 stars

It's man versus woman under the guise of man versus nature in Jon Lachlan Stewart's latest, and it's the sharply written relationship drama that makes it so winning. Sharply staged and played, and a little more economical than some of Lachlan's past work, it follows a young couple moving in together, and the cracks that become evident when they have to deal with a similar couple of pigeons. The nature-doc voiceover is sometimes a little too cute, but the relationship dynamic is acutely realized here, and the play manages to be funny, ring true and feel melancholy and romantic all in under an hour. (DB)

Vultures
Written by Katherine Cullen
Directed by Mitchell Cushman
Starring Cullen, Pamela Schmunk
3 stars

Naming a play Vultures conjures up images of spoiled meat and slow death. Given this play's subject (familial misery, hygienic squalor and psychological cannibalism) and delivery (fevered, determined and, in an uncooled theatre in June, quite sticky), the product undoubtedly delivers on the promise. With admirable acting and gripping stage production, Vultures verges on a harrowing production. Unfortunately, a rambling, poorly constructed script can't decide what it wants to say and drags the play half an hour past its preferred expiry date. As a result, Vultures winds up suitable only for the birds. (LK) vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus