MOB at WWPT - When words online do more damage than sticks and stones...

 Last night I took in MOB presented by Workshop West (WWPT). When first announced, I was going because the phenomenal Kristin Johnston was in it but I couldn't tell much about the show from the promotional material. A chance conversation a few weeks ago with another theatre artist about the show's subject matter made me even more interested. The show deals with the fallout after a woman is relentlessly harassed online by anonymous trolls that spew the vilest of the vile at her and she has no legal way to shut them down. Her solution is both an escape from her ruined life and attempt to seek some sort of redress. 

It's a tough watch, but really, really good. You have to have the stomach for it. The online warning (While keeping you and our actors safe, this show contains coarse language, sexual themes, nudity, violence, emotionally charged scenarios, and may deal with subjects which are personally challenging to you. We use strobe effects and water-based theatrical fog throughout) is completely true, and depending on someone's personal connection to the situations revealed, it may affect people with a range of reactions. The performances from the cast of three (Johnston as Sophie, Graham Mothersill as Martin, and Davina Stewart as Louise) are all excellent and complex. A terrific Set, created by designer Beyata Hackborn, works so well with the lighting (Alison Yanota) and those combined with the Sound design by Darrin Hagen. The mood and tone created by how those elements work together is outstanding. It's a wild ride with a an ending that is both awful and satisfying (and then makes you feel a bit awful for enjoying it). This is a show to definitely see this season and particularly if you, like myself, spend a lot of your time online. It's the cautionary tale of today. 

I think I connected so strongly to this show because I have been exposed to a certain amount of online vitriol in my former job as Marketing Manager for a local theatre (cancel a lecture for a national right-wing speaker with no justification and see what kind of online response that provokes - as the person reading and dealing with the online feedback on that, I went home and woke up with an upset stomach for weeks). As a individual, I have expressed what I thought were small, unimportant opinions on things and had rudeness and mocking from online acquaintances written at me. Many of those people wouldn't think they were doing anything wrong. I'm sure I have posted rude things myself when angry or upset. I try not to, but it's quite likely I have. The online world sometimes feels unreal, but the impact of our words there is very, very real... 

MOB plays at the Gateway Theatre until November 12th. Tickets range from $32-$53. You can purchase tickets here.

A Couple More Days... A Couple More Shows...

I've hit seven more shows since Saturday.  It was supposed to be 8, but lesson learned, never schedule a 90 minute drama at the end of a five show day... my old brain couldn't handle it so I headed home early on Sunday. Still, 4 shows is a good measure of a day during the fringe.

Here are some highlights of the last two days of Fringe:

Half the Battle - The premise is very clever and Owen Bishop commits wholeheartedly to the world of two men in one body in this piece. Lacing historical fact with fictionalized characters, this show is a funny and touching one/two man show.

CLIMB - Interesting juxtaposition of taped narrative and circus aerial. I was fascinated. I think there is more that could be done here in terms of connecting the movement and the story, but I was engaged. My appreciation for dance helped a lot in understanding *contemporary circus* as shown here.

The F Words - Although it starts a little slow, once it gets rolling this show is full of laughs. There are a lot of F words, not all of them salty, and several sing along songs that are fun to do! It was a redemption from a couple of other shows that I've seen that were rather harsh towards middle-aged women and that was refreshing.

Good With People - This one left thinking. It's a moody two-hander set in Scotland. Well acted and directed, although occasionally it was hard to hear in the space and that was complicated by the accents. It did feature some of the strongest acting I've seen so far, particularly from Graham Mothersill (Evan) who plays a character who brilliantly skirts the line between irritating and charming.

The Unsyncables - So much ridiculous, silly, fun! Imagine tweens forming and practicing a synchronized swimming routine in the 90's in West Edmonton Mall. Already you are laughing... aren't you? Throw in a rivalry with another team (think mean girls on a scooter), an unlikely romance, more 90's pop songs and references that you can imagine and hilarity ensues!

Tonight is mine and Mark's 20th Wedding Anniversary so we are taking a night off from the Fringe. I'll be back on Wednesday night to catch a few more.

Happy fringing!