Pictured: Erla Faye Forsyth and Simon Webb in Tolkien. Photo by Damon Calderwood.

Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza

Tolkien, written and directed by Ron Reed, is a new production staged by Vancouver’s Pacific Theatre, for which Reed works as the artistic director. I caught the opening night of the production, and was instantly intrigued by the alley stage setup, in which the audience sits on two sides of the stage, facing each other. What I was less intrigued by was the supposed run time –– two hours and forty minutes. Assuming that this included the two ten-minute intermissions, making the show a three-act play, I hoped the content would keep me entertained for over two hours.

The play focuses on the relationship between The Hobbit author J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, famous (to me, anyway) for writing The Chronicles of Narnia, and their literary group in Oxford known as the “Inklings”. Tolkien, for the most part, takes place in the UK during the Second World War. Though I haven’t read any of Tolkien’ or Lewis’ books, and barely seen any of the film adaptations, I was fortunate to have been able to bring along a friend who not only considers herself a fan of The Lord of the Rings, but also took a class on Tolkien and his works. She was able to fill me in on the many references in the script.

The script, for the most part, was quite stellar. Though the scenes were dialogue-driven, the dialogue was often quite funny, and Reed sells us on the relationships between the leads early on, which allowed me to remain at least somewhat intrigued throughout the show. Religion and politics played a strong role in defining many of these relationships, not surprisingly creating tension between the members of the Inklings. The script balances these themes in an impressive fashion, and all the while educating a Tolkien-novice such as myself about the rich history behind some of literature’s most significant works. The script was also a triumph in accurately portraying its setting; Reed was able to convincingly capture the dialogue and colloquialisms of 1940s Oxford. It was so convincing, in fact, that at times it felt as if the play could have been written decades ago. This unfortunately leads me to the script’s major flaws. Other than the unique staging and the overall production value of Tolkien, nothing about Reed’s script felt like it was a brand new production. The story felt tired, as if I’d seen a play just like this many times before. Though the premise may be original –– I haven’t heard of another such play about the lives of Tolkien and Lewis –– the way it was written didn’t feel like it. The only female character in Tolkien, Tolkien’s wife Edith, was easily the most forgettable. Her character felt shoehorned in to avoid making the production all-male. Very little ever comes out of any of her scenes, while Reed implies that Lewis’ encouragement was instrumental in making Tolkien finish The Hobbit. This, according to my friend and Tolkien expert, felt like a bit of a stretch in itself, but I’m also skeptical of the fact that Tolkien was infinitely more influenced by Lewis than his own wife. Of course, I wouldn’t have wanted Reed to change the history of the Inklings in any way to accommodate today’s social climate, but if it is true that he took liberties in giving Lewis more of a role in encouraging Tolkien to write The Hobbit than any evidence suggests, it doesn’t sit well that the only female character in the show was written so generically.

The actor playing Tolkien was absent on opening night (Note from Julia Lank, the Publicist, the actor John Innes required medical attention and was not able to perform). Reed himself read the part, script in hand. This was at times distracting, but I imagine it was beyond their control. For being something of an understudy, Reed played the part quite well, though the script definitely prevented him from acting as well as his capabilities would have otherwise permitted him. Additionally, for having to act in front of someone holding a script, the entire cast did a tremendous job. Ian Farthing, who played C. S. Lewis, was a standout in the first act. His character lost my interest later on, due to the way his character was written, and I believe consequently the lack of character development hindered Farthing’s acting in the second act. Simon Webb had the challenge of playing two different characters –– poet Roy Campbell and fellow Inkling Hugo Dyson –– and did so admirably. I only really realized they were the same actor when the cast took their bows. Erla Faye Forsyth, playing Edith, did very well for what she was given, which wasn’t much at all. Rounding out the cast were Tim Dixon and Anthony F. Ingram, both fantastic actors and perhaps highlights of the play. Though at first I felt Ingram seemed a bit over-the-top as poet Charles Williams, his was somehow also the most believable character of Tolkien, and I was always excited to see him and Dixon –– playing Lewis’ brother Warren –– back on stage. Other than some questionable English accents among the cast, Reed assembled a group of extremely talented actors.

Aesthetically, Tolkien is a complete triumph. The lighting choices were seamless, and the set recalled Middle Earth, but still felt integral to the real world of 1940s Oxford. The cast did a tremendous job in acting to two audiences, front and back with the alley stage, which is a testament to Reed’s direction. The play could definitely have been shorter, as there were a few scenes that felt thrown in without much coming out of them, but it was nevertheless a strong display of local talent. Had the play been more concise and gotten rid of scenes that didn’t drive the plot forward, it would have been front-to-back extremely entertaining. It’s not an easy task to write a script that consists of several scenes that on the surface seem exactly like a scene that had occurred earlier yet still make the story feel interesting, but it is exactly what Reed has done with Tolkien. If someone like myself who didn’t know a thing about Tolkien or Lewis could find enjoyment in this production, I urge any true fans of their books to catch Tolkien.

 

Tolkein by Ron Reed is running at the Pacific theatre May 11th – June 9th. Wednesday – Saturday at 8 pm with 2pm matinees on Saturdays.

Tickets or by phone 604-731-5518 | Facebook Event

Pictured: Top Row (L-R): Ricardo Pequenino, Alexandra Quispe, Sari Rosofsky, YooRa Kang
Bottom Row (L-R): Michael Gnansounou, Brianna Clark

Jessica Kim

How to describe this musical? I think it’s best to go with “Moana meets The Little Mermaid“.

Once On This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Falherty is told as a story or folktale by the villagers and the four gods, Agwe, god of water (Ricardo Pequenino), Asaka, mother of earth (YooRa Kang), Erzulie, goddess of love (Alexandra Quispe), and Papa Ge, demon of Death (Sari Rosofsky). Ti Moune (Brianna Clark) is an orphan peasant girl on her island who falls in love with Daniel (Micheal Gnansounou), descendant of French settlers. She saves him from a car crash, falls in love and journeys to find him at Hotel Beauxhomme.

As a person who treads the line between genuinely enjoying fairy tales/folktales and always finding problems about them, it was hard to accept the plot as it was. I understand what it was trying to do with unifying different classes through love but couldn’t help questioning things like: “Why do people fall in love so easily in this musical?” (Because Erzulie!) and “Why is the villain character suddenly nice?” (Death is not evil after all?)

Pictured: Michael Gnansounou and Brianna Clark

Regardless, the production was enjoyable. The costumes (Chris Sinosich) were especially well thought-out. Most of them looked handmade and because many of the actors played multiple characters, the costumes helped them change into an entirely new character each time. The completely white costumes of the Beauxhommes in contrast to the colorful clothing of the peasants was also a nice touch, to show that they’re above “the dirt” but also literally showing the colorlessness of their lives.

I was particularly impressed with the blocking and how director Damon Bradley Jang filled up the space. I’ve worked in the Revue stage before; a struggle for stagehands and a director’s nightmare. The only way to travel between the wings is across the stage and the stage itself is tiny with an oddly-shaped thrust with stairs leading down from it. Having the actors appear through the aisles in the audience would’ve required actors to run around through the lobby and even outside the building. There were three clear levels the actors worked on; the platform higher than the stage (where the gods were usually), the stage itself, and the stairs/audience area. The big cast was distributed well throughout these levels, and everyone had something to do in every scene. I feel like the limiting space at the Revue was utilized and filled up very cleverly. However, after Ti Moune grows up, the actor playing Little Ti Moune (Arta Negahban) often watches the story unfold and it was not clear if she was listening to the story as the Little Girl character or Little Ti Moune watching her adult self. Jang also made a bold choice to have a diverse cast representing the Vancouver community opposed to sticking to the racially specific casting of the musical. Because there was so much diversity, it was not distracting or strange, and the story was still conveyed effectively.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and fun musical. Though it is relatively short, 90 minutes with no intermission, it kept the audience engaged and constantly surprised. If you have a chance, go check out the heart-warming musical at the Revue Stage, it’s a limited run, so hurry!

 

Once On This Island, book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty is running at the Redgate Revue Stage April 6th- April 14th.

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Jessica Kim

“If God had known about Hawaiian pizza, there would have been a loophole in this whole kosher thing.”

What does it mean to believe? Sometimes we put in so much significance in something that we don’t stop to think why. Bar Mitzvah Boy by Mark Leiren-Young, directed by Ian Farthing, attempts to answer these questions.

At first this play seems to be about Joey (Richard Newman), who at a ripe old age wants a Bar Mitzvah, a rite of passage into adulthood… for 13 year olds. He pesters Rabbi Micheal (Gina Chiarelli) about it, insisting that he be privately tutored by the woman rather than join the class with his grandson. Further into the play the audience can see that Joey ends up maturing by helping the Rabbi get through tough times in her life.

Having only two actors seem limiting for a full length production, but thinking back at An Almost Holy Picture, which had one actor and was about thirty minutes longer, it’s not a stretch. Other than the number of actors, both plays follow a similar story about a person of faith slowly losing their daughter to a fatal illness/condition. Doubt of faith and even hatred come into play, but at the end, a glimmer of hope. After seeing a number of shows in the Pacific theatre, I am beginning to understand what Ron Reed, the Artistic Director, means by “a play perfect for Pacific Theatre”.

The actors were spectacular, Gina Chiarelli portrays her complex character with faith, doubt, mother and teacher all at once. She goes through not one but two losses; she has nothing left. Her chemistry with Richard Newman is endearing and often hilarious. Special shoutout goes to the lighting designer Jillian White, the lighting enhanced the otherwise the consistent set and effectively created tone changes, and the light on the ceiling was an excellent touch.

The hilarious and heartwarming Bar Mitzvah Boy is running until April 14th, catch it while you can!

 

Bar Mitzah Boy by Mark Leiren-Young is running at the Pacific theatre March 23rd- April 14th. Wednesday – Saturday at 8 pm with 2pm matinees on Saturdays.

Tickets or by phone 604-731-5518 | Facebook Event

Jessica Kim

 Grief finds us in many different ways and dealt with equally many different ways. It comes to us for those that are dead or those who are simply lost to us. We weep, we curse and we sometimes follow some meticulous, meaningless but meaningful procedures to forget, to remember and to honor.

Pacific Theatre presents An Almost Holy Picture by Heather McDonald directed by Ron Reed and starring David Snider as Samuel Gentle. Samuel tells the audience, or perhaps himself, how he came to be a groundskeeper from minister. How he has heard God’s voice three times yet cannot find peace.

Samuel’s (David Snider) soothing and even calm voice as he tells his rather tragic story draws the audience in, all swaying together with every rhythm and repetition, almost like poetry. Personally for that reason I feel like this should have benefited greatly from being on a different medium such as prose, poetry or radio. However, the lighting design (Phil Miguel) and set design (Anna Schroeder) enhances the monologue visually. Samuel thinks, thinks, and thinks over and over about what happened and what it all means, why he suffers. Over time he has developed some rituals, or ceremonies, that may not be conventionally seen as prayer but nevertheless is his relationship with God. His love for his daughter, Ariel, is evident and though I related more to Ariel and what she must have felt, it was heartbreaking to see Samuel’s, the parent’s side of the story. His love for Ariel has quickly become over-protection, jealousy, and even obsession, and the parallel with he and Ariel and God and himself as a parent-child relationship is fitting.

Accompany Samuel Gentle as he copes with grief, guilt and misguided love with the most powerful ritual of them all; reflection.

 

An Almost Holy Picture by Heather McDonald is running at the Pacific theatre February 21st – March 3rd. Wednesday – Saturday at 8 pm with 2pm matinees on Saturdays.

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Jessica Kim

“She is ruined.”

Every time the title of a play is mentioned, it’s significant. The audience’s ears perk up and the tension in the room suddenly rises. In Ruined by Lynn Nottage, a production by Dark Glass Theatre at the Pacific Theatre, this happens rather quickly, in the first 10 minutes or so. And it’s referring to sexual assault. War rape, to be more accurate.

It always is difficult tackling such topics for playwrights and productions. There’s a fine line between respect and disrespect, awareness and exposure, empathy and pity- however, the director Angela Konrad suggests that the play “[reveals] beauty not just in spite of the difficulty but because of it. How entirely appropriate.”

It wasn’t hard to make the connection to my own background. The “comfort women” taken to Japanese Armies during World War II were not only from Korea but other occupied countries like China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Burma, and Thailand. The issue with comfort women is not the lack of awareness but the complete denial from the Japanese government- many women today are fighting for their rights and compensation, but mostly, just an apology. There are, of course, many forms of media- mainly film and TV- portraying the stories of them. The effective ones are intense, serious and draws the audience in, but at the same time has appropriate comic relief and thus the easing of the tension from time to time, like Ruined. Nothing about the subject matter was light- the opposite, in fact, but the jokes and scenes here and there, strategically placed, relieves the audience from time to time.

It is important to mention that the leading lady playing Mama Nadi (Mariam Barry), had actually stepped in very last minute and the opening night was delayed. With such short notice she did a splendid job and it was worth the wait. Notable performances go to Makambe K. Simamba (Sophie) and Shayna Jones (Salima), their body language and chemistry between them portray the characters really well.

 Costumes and set were simply stunning; the lights, especially the fairy lights and the effects during the gunshot scene was impressive. The live music was also charming.

Overall this production of Ruined was an extremely brave and successful way to raise awareness to what’s happening to women- and men- in Congo and how though they may be “damaged” physically and internally, they aren’t completely “ruined”.  

 

Ruined by Lynn Nottage is running at the Pacific theatre February 2nd – February 17th. Wednesday – Saturday at 8 pm with 2pm matinees on Saturdays.

Tickets or by phone 604-731-5518

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