I admit to being an easy laugh and I certainly had a bellyful when the two jealous suitors in Featuring Loretta pulled all their slapstick bits. Liz Burns had a wonderful deadpan delivery which made her Russian chambermaid (daughter of ex-KGB kingpin who shouts too much) delightfully funny. George Walker knows how to set up his scenes and most important, he knows how to provide the actors with fabulous delivery.
The actual pace of the play was too slow, and I know that for non-professional actors, maintaining momentum the night after an opening can be a serious challenge. However, it is such a treat to be watching this well crafted play that one can forgive the timing.
Tommy Furino gave his performance just the right kind of caricature to make his obsession with Loretta work. Joel Fishbane was just sleazy enough to inhabit the porn director manqué he played. Best of all were the scenes with the two of them tripping over each other to win the lithesome Loretta.
In The End Of Civilization, Olivier Perras was able to inspire some very fine performances. Eric Hausknost, as Max the husband who has failed at finding a job and holding onto his home and family, was both compelling and heartbreaking. Denise DePass took a role full of transitions and perilous curves and managed to make the suburban Hausfrau utterly believable and the newly committed prostitute that she becomes, truly fine. Eric Davies played the same cop he excelled as in Adult Entertainment with just a bit more anger, and a laudable control. Patrick Charron seemed much more at ease reprising the persona of Donny. His performance was smoother and more focused than in Adult Entertainment. Catie Parsons as Sandy the unlovable Lady of the Night did a flawless star turn.
This is a dark and angry play from one of our best playwrights, and it is painfully relevant today. Tableau D’Hôte Theatre has done us a great service in mounting it. If you missed the first two plays in the Suburban Motel series, do not fail to see these. So far I am very impressed by this company and its ambitious and delightful work. We are privileged to have them and I wish them many more seasons.
FEATURING LORETTA – Nov. 17 – 22 7 pm (Nov. 21 & 22 2 pm); THE END OF CIVILIZATION – Nov. 17 – 22 9 pm (Nov. 21 & 22 4 pm). Box Office (514) 849 – FEST (3378). For more details, check out the Tableau D’Hôte Theatre Site. Mainline Theatre 3997, boul. St-Laurent.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
above you say: “The actual pace of the play was too slow, and I know that for non-professional actors, maintaining momentum the night after an opening can be a serious challenge. However, it is such a treat to be watching this well crafted play that one can forgive the timing.”
Do you realize that in attempting to give the show some praise, that this is an Insult?
who says that these actors are “non-professional” ?
How does one judge that?
Because we haven’t seen them on the Centaur/ Segal stage ?
your thoughts are obviously worth sharing, but you should put yourself in check – as to not come off sounding so Harsh, so often.
(* and let it be stated that i was encouraged to read this article by someone not related at all to this production, but who is a Montreal theatre lover. *)
J. H.
lovedlovedloved Featuring Loretta. I needed the laugh and it was nice to get one. I chose not to see The End of Civilization on the same evening but I hope to check it out Sunday afternoon.