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The dramatic reading of Speed Dating for Sperm Donors, part of the Advance Theatre New Works by Diverse Women series at the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival was a delightful insight into the struggles of a couple trying to start a family in a non traditional fashion. Based on the playwright's personal experiences rounded out with some fiction, the production manages to find the humour in a frustrating and near impossible process. Although the couple portrayed is two women, I feel that the majority of the struggles would be the same for any couple in the same situation however some challenges specific to their relationship were raised. Rather than just being a series of interviews, as speed dating would suggest, the content also delves into their reasoning for choosing to go down this particular path as opposed to a potentially easier route. Although Natalie Meisner, the playwright, creates comedy out of a taxing experience, she also introduces how probable it is for the story to unfold in various other, not so comical, ways. A very real, and relevant story for anyone who has, or knows someone who has, had difficulty becoming a parent. With any luck we'll get a chance to see this produced in Vancouver. ~ reviewed by Karen Roller
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As a supplemental note to the video to avoid pronoun confusion, Kai Taddei is referred to as they/their and Davey Bastion-DeCosta is referred to as he/him. Kai Taddei is the playwright, and Kai is main character in the play, read by Davey Bastion-DeCosta. I use both he/him and they/their in my video review depending on whom I am talking about. While You Sleep started with a five minute excerpt in Peek Fest 2016 and since then has been in incubator program at Belfry Theatre. And after this reading at Fringe in the Advance Work series it will go through another week long intensive. On top of that, three of the actors who read for us have been part of this process and have not only seen the play grow and transform but have spoken for their own characters, shaping them as the play is developed. I can’t wait to see what comes of the process next when hopefully we get to see it in SPARK Festival 2020. ~ reviewed by Melody Owen
Rubble, written by Suvendrini Lena, portrays the life of a family struggling to maintain their lives and hold on to each other amid the chaos and violence of living in the Gaza Strip. The story of the family is interwoven with poetry written by an unnamed poet who speak of the plight of the people and the land. The play itself is dense with information and straying even for a second can leave the audience a bit lost. That said, this play is worth your full attention. The play was read by five actors, reading from scripts on music stands in front of them. Adele Noronha is a wonderfully expressive actor and a pleasure to watch. I must give props to Raresh DiMofte as well. Even though he spoke softly at times and was a bit difficult to hear, he handled the collapse of his music stand in the middle of one of his scenes seamlessly and professionally. Although I noticed it collapse, DiMofte didn’t skip a beat in his performance. Rubble is a window into a world we sometimes see on the news but rarely get to see through the eyes of the people who matter the most. Rubble gives us an honest portrayal of that life. ~ reviewed by Melody Owen
Although a contemporary story, these themes are timeless. The play is about Abbey whose absent father haunts her and she can’t trust herself until she gets some answers. And while she searches for answers in her own life, she also searches for answers in the life of an old woman who died and no one seemed to notice she was gone. One of my favourite lines in the play was delivered by Abbey’s mother who said, ‘Why so important?’ And that is the crux of it. Why is it so important for some people to have answers and for others to walk away and never want to revisit the past. The Ones We Leave Behind is a touching exploration of family, connection, love and loss. The five actors who read the play did an outstanding job bringing the audience along for the ride with no help from set or props. The play will premiere on October 24th at the Cultch, so if you missed the reading this time, you can see a full performance with four of the same five actors then. ~ reviewed by Melody Owen
Presented as a dramatic reading as part of the Advance Theatre New Works by Diverse Women, Gametes provides examples of the constant struggles women of today's society face with respect to gender roles and equality. How concepts of achievement and fulfillment become blurred between internal drive and external expectations. As two friends work their way through some shocking news, past memories present themselves as a sort of support or construct of their current views and opinions. Can a lifelong friendship overcome differing opinions as well as an unspoken truth? Edgy and mesmerizing, this translated script of an award winning French original, deserves the opportunity to be performed as a full production thanks to the performers entertaining presentation of the material considering their limited time with the script. ~ reviewed by Karen Roller
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