April, 2006 - Nr. 4
KW and Beyond
by Irena Syrokomla
Earshot
at Theatre & Company
in Kitchener.
By the time you read this, Earshot will have closed and Theatre & Company will be focusing on Marion Bridge, the play to be staged from May 18 to June 11. Continuing without much of a break, Mr. Stuart Scadron-Wattles and his team are very busy these days: besides the regular plays, there was a reading in February of a new play Mia, an intimate event in the rehearsal room of the theatre, a March break camp for students, a 3 one acts plays presentation at the beginning of April (No Exit by Sartre, Tough! by George F. Walker and Sanctuary by Emile Sher). And of course plans for the next season, none disclosed yet.
About Earshot: it is one of those amazing plays by Morris Panych: one act, one actor, set in a gloomy dilapidated apartment; difficult to decide whether it is a comedy or a psychodrama.
![Randy Hughson in "Earshot" [Photo: Cylla von Tiedmann, courtesy of Theatre & Company]](604c-IS-earshot.jpg)
The
main character Doyle played by Randy Hughson, has the unique ability of
being able to hear the most subtle noises coming from the neighbours’
apartments: droplets of water running, paper being torn, clipping of
fingernails, sneezing or turning pages of a book. The noises are magnified,
filling the space and the head of Doyle, but he cannot shut them down, and
he cannot escape. The intimate details of life of his neighbours residing in
his apartment building are exposed, invading his room and invading his
brain.
Randy Hughson was absolutely superb as a tormented loner, the shades of his moods and reactions so wonderfully portrayed. The stage design by Andrea Lundy is especially worth mentioning: in colours of faded green and dirty yellows, with all details of the closed living quarters of an individual who hardly ever leaves his abode. This is a play of changing moods, sometimes ironic, ridiculing invisible "others" from the other side of the wall, sometimes funny, finally uncontrollably tragic. It must have been hard on Randy Hughson to carry it through in a single one-and-a-half-hour act. At some moments, the audience was exhausted, possibly as much as the actor himself. It was not a play that would appeal to a wide audience. The schedule – a fairly short run – reflected this.
Morris Panych is a Canadian playwright who deserves attention. Originally from Edmonton, presently residing in Toronto, he has written a number of plays, among them Girl in the Goldfish Bowl staged in Kitchener a couple of years ago. He is also involved in directing or even acting, his name mentioned more frequently at festivals or on television these days. He will be directing at the Shaw festival this summer. Earshot is definitely a very special play and we will look for further achievements of Morris Panych. Good luck!
At Theatre & Company Marion Bridge in May is expected to attract a broader spectrum, it is advertised as "a sharp comedy with crackling sibling rivalry". There are special discounts for students, seniors, groups and previews. Further information is available at www.theatreandcompany.org or by calling 519-571-0928.
