Scintilla

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Scintilla

Playwright/s – Alessandro Camon

Production Company/Theatre space – The Theatre, (yes, the new company is called “The Theatre”) at the base of Fontainbleau Estates on 14^th Ave and 2^nd Street SW.

Length – One act 1 hour 15 minutes (no intermission)

Genre/s – Drama

Premise – A son takes his girlfriend to his artist mother’s home and deals with an unhoused man who had been the victim of violence and his mom’s prepper lover as wildfire comes closes in. the property.

Why this play? Why now? – The show is billed as written by an “Oscar nominated” playwright which gives the play some cache and the subject matter is topical.

Curiosities – I hope companies who might give their rent money to church basements, the Motel, or the Joyce Dolittle will consider supporting this enterprise. I’m curious to see who does.

Notable Moment - Many artists get together to form theatre companies. The REAL notable moment here is that Abagail Vanmerlin and Jakob Schaefer purchased, renovated, and added an onyx like jewel of a black box theatre to Calgary. They deserve a standing ovation just for accomplishing this. It took real dedication, drive, and chutzpah to keep the project alive. It cost a small fortune, took over three years to renovate the space, fight city hall, and (against all odds) get through to the premiere of this show. Bravo.

Notable writing – Scripts tend to go in theme cycles, we had the “AIDS” plays, the “homeless plays”, the “9/11” plays, and currently there is a glut of “climate crisis” plays. This is not one of the strongest. Despite having success as a screenwriter, this stage play is weighted down with “rememberwhens” that hamper the rising action. The characters’ self-absorbed backstories and pontificating monologues, which the playwright uses to stop them leaving a house, ultimately make us stop caring about them. The script should have crackled with suspense and tension but only gave us a scintilla of real drama. However, one character elicits our empathy. The hymn singing at the end was grim.

Notable performances – The cast comes from a rich and diverse background as an educational media producer, the developer of a medical sci-fi puppet drama, a performer who has recently rekindled his love for film and stage, a recent Grant MacEwan University theatre grad, and a stand-up comedian. Together they all earnestly give their talents to the show.

Notable design/Production – The production elements checked all the boxes.

Notable direction – Abagail Vanmerlin is co-founder, co-owner, producer, marketer, concession worker, and director. She is juggling so many plates she forgot to include herself in the program! Her focus may have been a little split as she understandably has taken on so many roles herself.

One reason to see this show – This is a small spark of what promises to be a roaring fire of a theatre company.