LR (Clockwise): (LR) Anita Majumdar, Meghan Swaby, Sarah Farb, and Long Hu participate in interior design – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo: Jie Yang). Interior Design by Long Hu and Anita Majumdar – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo: Jae Yang) Interior Design by Sarah Favre and Megan Swaby – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo by Jae Yang)
Tarragon Theater / Interior Design, Written by Rosa Laborde, Directed by Kat Sandler, Tarragon Extra Space Closes November 10th. Click here for tickets.
Renowned playwright Rosa Laborde is said to be one of the most refreshing voices in Canadian theater, and for good reason. She wants to make people laugh.
While some of Laborde’s prolific work certainly leans toward the dark side, the majority of her plays lean toward comedy, such as Leo, Hush, and True. In fact, Mr. Laborde is on record as saying that many people have stopped going to the theater because they don’t want to leave feeling depressed.
That’s why she believes theater can be both serious and entertaining.
The interior design of her “Tarragon” world premiere is vintage Laborde, and you can hear the constant laughter as the drama unfolds below. It wouldn’t be a Laborde play if it didn’t address serious issues.
(LR) Interior Design by Anita Majumdar, Long Hu, Megan Swaby and Sarah Farb – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo: Jie Yang)
Characters
Four friends in their 30s and 40s, who grew up in the same immigrant neighborhood and have known each other since childhood, gather for a “skin party” where beauty products are sold.
Unbeknownst to one of them, the real reason for the gathering was the intervention, and the recipient of the intervention (if there is such a word) was convinced from the start that the intervention was for someone else, not him. The humor begins with a thought.
The party takes place at Sophie’s mansion. Sophie (Sarah Favre) is a life coach and recently divorced with children. Maya (Megan Swaby), who works in marketing, also has a child and is in a lesbian relationship. Cecilia (Anita Majumdar) sells a beauty line and lives a more flashy and free life. Having no children, she enjoys participating in all kinds of hobbies and activities that interest her.
And then there’s Olivia (Rong Hu), a married woman who writes and edits news articles and documentaries. She begins the play with a very cynical (and funny) monologue about life. So we, the audience, know that Olivia’s negativity is the reason her friends are intervening. They are very concerned about what they perceive to be severe depression.
So in this first key scene, the dark foundations begin to emerge beneath these lifelong friendships.
Ferb’s soft-spoken Sophie thinks she’s someone who loves helping people, when in reality she irritates her friends with her controlling superiority complex. Even more infuriating, the almost arrogant Sophie is determined to always maintain a medium level of composure through emotional strife.
Swaby’s energetic Maya makes assertive statements without thinking about the consequences, but also annoys others by avoiding confrontation and refusing to take responsibility for positive actions. At one point, she is accused of being Swiss.
Majumdar’s Cecilia is deeply hurt when she realizes that others see her as a frivolous free-for-all, and that they feel they have to endure her skin party. . She has a slightly innocent aura, like a flower child.
As for Olivia in Fu, she hits hard and she hits hard. Everyone hates her belittling and correctives, and Maya even calls her Miss Wikipedia.
There, Laborde sets the stage for the various crises that will follow, as the friends are forced to take a long, deep look at themselves, their relationships, and, by extension, their impact on each other.
The playwright delights in people’s flaws, but as a critic once pointed out, Laborde’s characters are deeply human.
However, there is an important plot device to point out.
When Olivia decides she wants to give up her career and become an interior designer, Sophie gives her the freedom to decorate her apartment, even though Olivia has no experience whatsoever. Thus, as the action unfolds, we witness set designer Shannon Lee Doyle’s original minimalist mansion undergo a bizarre transformation into a preposterous vision. I should also mention that Doyle’s clever costumes fit the characters perfectly.
production
Laborde is a master of fast-paced dialogue and rapid-fire one-liners, and an acclaimed playwright and satirist herself helps interior design actors navigate this comedic element. Directed by Kat Sandler. Under Sandler’s sure hand, the action flag never flies.
Admittedly, method acting in comedy is difficult, often making the actor sound like he’s saying a line just to get it over with quickly, making the character seem a little superficial. However, if laughter is the reason for existence, I will always value speed and expression over depth.
But despite some of the dialogue being difficult to understand, we learn who these women are because Laborde has avoided the curse of stereotypes by providing genuine motivations for action. You can. In fact, you’ll see four different characters appear. Laborde also offers a short farewell monologue that allows us to get to know them a little better through self-revelation.
The actors’ performances are lively, lively, and in-the-moment, making it a joy to watch. There’s probably some overacting, but I don’t care.
Most importantly, Sandler has put together a great ensemble.
main theme
Interior design is first and foremost a play about friendship, and we are most vulnerable when we are with our closest friends. It was within the scope of friendship that good people, bad people, and ugly people appeared, and Laborde guaranteed that. This play is admirable for its very honest portrayal of a woman’s inner, even chaotic world.
Then there’s the concept of interior design. This can display a glossy painting on the outside and hide rotten wood or moldy walls underneath.
In his director’s notes, Sandler sees Laborde’s metaphor of renovating Sophie’s apartment as doing just that: stripping away the façade to reveal truth, authenticity, and transformation. are.
Final comment
Tarragon seems to be off to whales this season with two hits.
In the main space is Macbeth, the cookie-cutter goblin. Its screening period has just been extended. Judging by the laughs in Extra Space, Laborde’s fun interior design will be another success.
Currently, Tarragon seems to be the home of comedy.
Looking to promote your event? Have a news tip? Want to know about the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#Ludwig Van
Get daily arts news delivered straight to your inbox.
Ludwig Van Toronto Sign up for the e-Blast! — Local classical music and opera news delivered right to your inbox here.
Paula Citron is a Toronto-based freelance arts journalist and broadcaster who hosts her own website, paulacitron.ca. For more than 25 years, she was a senior dance writer for the Globe and Mail, an associate editor for Opera Canada, an arts critic for Classical 96.3 FM, and a Dance Preview contributor for Toronto Life. She has been a guest lecturer at various cultural groups and universities, particularly on the role of the critic/critic, and is a panelist on the COC podcast. Before undertaking a full-time career in journalism, Ms. Citron was a member of the theater department at the Claude Watson School of the Arts.
Latest posts by Paula Citron (see all)
Source link
