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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=6875 Export date: Tue Jul 23 15:29:37 2024 / +0000 GMT |
‘Elvis and Mavis’: Newfie tales and turmoil You can tell even before the actors enter, that Theatre Orangeville's current production, Jeff Pitcher's “Elvis and Mavis” has more than one story to tell. An eye-catching setting captures the full effect of Newfoundland's plight: a rough hewn, dirt poor shack houses a clutter of old fishing supplies and tools sharing the scene with a bright, comfortably out-moded kitchen providing a warm touch of home. The blue-lit beautifully painted ice-floes created by talented set designer Sarah Scroggie brings a bleak chill to the wintery air where the story of hope and protest, blame and vindication and one man's mission to reveal what is happening in Newfoundland will be brought to life by three remarkable actors. It is for the audience to decide what could have been done. Elvis (Darren Keay) is Newfie to the core. Though no mention of Newfoundland is found in a multitude of credits, the Keay adopts an accent so smoothly he easily convinces us he is indeed the heart and soul of Newfoundland. Being a somewhat complicated Newfie, he is currently bent on fulfilling his current dream, to blow up the Churchill Dam, and amidst calls from the CBC and Canada AM, he holds that resolution firmly. Alongside Mavis (Jane Spence), his life passes before our eyes, beautifully crafted scenes of the hopes of youth, the desires and disappointments of love, the yearning and purpose that brought him to his present situation. Keay is an accomplished actor who brings it all together and makes it believable. Spence matches Keay talent for talent, accent for accent, wit for wit (for it is those rare flashes of humor that will keep Elvis and Mavis afloat). Spence inspires sympathy and frustration, the urge to comfort her and knock some sense into her head at the same time. Spence skillfully draws us into her life: we become Mavis' next door neighbors, sharing the gossip, cheering on her dreams, and lonely when her dreams overpower her life in Newfoundland until she finds herself in the public eye as wife of a wannabe bomber. We can almost share our observations with Mavis' best friend, Rose (Maria Dinn). Rose comforts, but does not condone, sympathizes but angers, observes but cuts to the heart of the matter. Dinn takes on a complex role of listener and supporter while developing her own story. In perhaps the most charged scene in the play, worlds collide, truth is confronted, and the audience holds its breath in anticipation of what will happen. The telephone rings. Elvis calls. Kudos to Backstage cast: Director David Nairn, Technical Director Tim Moore, and Lighting Designer Steve Lucas for playing their roles to perfection to bring about a dramatic turn of events that leaves the audience thinking. Could life have been changed in Newfoundland? Draw your own conclusions by visiting Theatre Orangeville to see “Elvis and Mavis”, playing Wednesday to Sunday until April 13. Call 519 942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 for ticket information. By Anne Ritchie |
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Post date: 2014-04-05 18:33:14 Post date GMT: 2014-04-05 22:33:14 Post modified date: 2014-04-09 10:30:04 Post modified date GMT: 2014-04-09 14:30:04 |
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