I caught Where You Are by Kristen Da Silva presented by Shadow Theatre this past Saturday afternoon. On the ride over the uber driver asked me about the play and I realized that other that the cast members and knowing that two of them were sisters I really didn't know much about it, but I was confident based on that information that I would enjoy it. I was not wrong!
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| Marc J. Chalifoux Photography |
The two sisters, Glenda and Suzanna (played by Coralie Cairns and Davina Stewart), live together on Manitoulin Island and while they are clearly very different, it is not hard to imagine them being sisters. They have strong chemistry and an easy way of relating to each other. They do a great service to Da Silva's occasionally over-written script. Cairns and Stewart are gifted with making it all seem so real and believable and that this is a relationship with a long history and ingrained patterns of interaction. We meet Glenda, the wilder of the two, with a Something About Mary inspired hairstyle, raccoon eyes, and a heavy metal t-shirt under her bathrobe, and that sets the tone for what to expect from her. Suzanne arrives a little later, impeccably groomed and dressed, returning from church which she attends more for gossip than for spiritualism. They comfortably and humorously bounce off each other and we find out that Glenda's adult daughter Beth (played by the sharp and smart Nikki Hulowski) will be arriving soon for a visit and that there's a potential for conflict as Glenda has a long history of saying the wrong thing! We are also visited by the handsome and handy neighbour Patrick (Brennan Campbell) who the sisters clearly enjoy seeing on a regular basis. He's got his own history which involves being left (near) the altar. Beth arrives and things kick-off. We've also got hints that there is something big the sisters have been keeping from her. I don't want to give it all away, but of course, you have two attractive young actors who are unattached so there's potential there for a liaison, and it's clear that when Beth finds out the secret - she might not be happy about it. Come and see and find all that out. There are many laughs along the way of discovery and the four actors work really well together. Hulowski was terrific. Her reactions to the ridiculousness of her mother and aunt were perfect and wonderfully in the moment. Campbell was charming and kept up with the three powerhouse women on the stage. And, as I mentioned earlier, Stewart and Cairns have a real ease with each other which was so essential to creating that key relationship.
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| Marc J. Chalifoux Photography |
Now, I say it's where I want to be... maybe not right now, but I can totally imagine hanging with my sister and relating in our own way to each other the way Glenda and Suzanne do. I definitely connected to the situation. And the emotional investment you have in your adult children and their futures also resonated big-time for me. I would say for anyone around my age plus or minus 20 years with a sister you are close to, this is a terrific choice for a night out. The audience agreed with a standing ovation when I saw it.
Where You Are runs until May 18 at the Varscona Theatre presented by Shadow Theatre. Tickets are $25-$38 and can be purchased here. They also have pay-what-you-can performances.
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