Pictured: Kenton Klassen and John Voth. Photo by Jason Benson.
Jessica Kim
In a two-actor/character comedy, a Neo-Nazi skinhead is represented by a Jewish lawyer. Hilarity ensues.
Nah, just kidding.
In 1998, Cherry Docs by David Gow premiered in Toronto. Though we don’t have manual door locks anymore, the issues discussed in Cherry Docs is still shockingly relevant.
In this Pacific Theatre’s production of Cherry Docs, Richard Wolfe’s directing catches the intensity and the beats in the dialogue perfectly. There are intense scenes with heated conversations, then Wolfe gives the audience a moment to reflect.
The duo from Cave Canem that brought us The Lonesome West last year is back with this production. Kenton Klassen and John Voth show us a different side of their dynamic. If Lonesome West was more comedic and the hatred was more driven from brotherly banter, Cherry Docs shows action and speech driven from genuine hatred and fear of each other’s character and their own beliefs.
Mike (Kenton Klassen) is a juvenile skinhead accused of hate crime and murder. Danny (John Voth) is his Jewish lawyer, but he clearly doesn’t like Mike very much. The play starts out with their monologues, showing the audience a glimpse of their lives and ideals. The simple set and intense lighting sets the somber tone, allowing the audience to focus on every word and tense at every breath the characters take. This journey frees Mike from his instilled hatred, and more importantly, from his fear and the problems he blames society for.
