One thing I enjoy about writing a blog dedicated to nothing but breakfast reviews, is that it affords me the opportunity to review plays.
Recently I attended a play called Sargent & Victor & Me, starring Debbie Patterson, who played all of the characters. It was a great experience.
I feel that Patterson exaggerates most of the characters on her show, or at the least, selectively picks either offensive or extreme things they've said, and paints the picture like that's all they are. If I was one of the people that these characters were based off of, I'd probably be upset. Again, I don't know these people personally, but to me, they didn't seem as three-dimensional as they might be.
The only character I thought was very realistic was Theresa, the 15 year old gang member. I thought her mannerisms and pattern of speech were very accurate, and her stories were very tragic. I liked how the stories that Theresa told were upsetting and tragic, but Patterson didn't make them any more dramatic. She told shocking, heartbreaking story after shocking, heartbreaking story and was fairly casual in her tone when doing so. I thought this was very well done. I'm glad that she didn't act like Theresa was crying or breaking down. I think that Theresa had seen enough in her lifetime, from her mom huffing gas to getting raped and pimped out, that she would be nonchalant in telling stories that anyone else would be repulsed by.
It was great that the story ended with Theresa helping Gillian off the ground and back into the food bank. I liked seeing that full loop, and seeing the ending actually turn into the beginning, where Gillian met Theresa. That being said, it was pretty depressing hearing all of these brutal stories that Theresa was telling, and not getting a bow on that package. That's life, I guess, but still, it would've been nice to see Theresa's story go forward somehow.
I really enjoyed the parts where the main character, Gillian May Fonda, tells about her experience in Thunder Bay. The spot that really seemed to be her "happy place". The memories that she carves out there seem really positive, and while it's sad that her Multiple Sclerosis will prevent her from going back, I loved hearing her stories about the place, like taking acid for the first time, or just drinking beer there. On a technical side, I loved the lighting during these parts. The background was a blue sky with other colours mixed in. It was great.
I've only been to one other play, and that was Richard III at the MTC Warehouse, featuring William Hurt. That play was an interesting modernized version of the Shakespearean classic and in addition to an Oscar-winning actor, it featured an elaborate and detailed set with the costumes to match. Sargent & Victor & Me was driven by its story, and on the budget she had, the props weren't important at all. I think one thing this play did really well, was the lighting. The different lighting cues and radio news stories really added to the play. Another difference was that this was a one-person play, where as Richard III featured many different actors, so my respect for Debbie Patterson is a little stronger than the respect I had for anyone on the set of Richard III.
This play affected me in several ways. I lived on Langside near Sargent for a few months, and while I didn't directly see a lot of violence, I could always tell that it was different than living in East Kildonan. You always have to keep your guard a little up, and that does unseen things to the psyche of a person. So watching the play made me realize that beyond the violence, prostitutes, and gang members, there are people in houses that have broken hearts from looking out their windows and watching their community devolve.
It also woke me up to the struggles of people with Multiple Sclerosis. I never really understood the disease or the effects it has on the people afflicted with it, but after watching the play, I won't just gloss over ads or fundraisers talking about the dangers of MS. It really is a killer, and plays like this do a great job raising awareness for it.
So, overall, it was a great experience, and if I didn't have a mountain of homework to do, I would've stayed for the Q&A, but alas, priorities. It was a great one person play, and I recommend it to all.
