Review: The Chance
The Chance
Leroy Street Theatre
Written by George F. Walker, directed by Wes Berger. At the Assembly Theatre. Runs until October 30.
In George F. Walker’s newest play, The Chance, Walker does what he does best: champions the underdogs. Marcie (Fiona Reid), her daughter Jo (Claire Burns), and their friend Amie (Anne van Leeuwen) are on the edges of what might be considered “respectable”: Marcie is trying to manage debt and fend off creditors, while Jo and Amie are strippers with their own problems and few prospects.
Walker has made these women wily and tenacious in their quest to grab any chance to get just a little further ahead. This means not necessarily abiding by the strict letter of the law. So when a mysterious cheque for a lot of money is found made out to cash, Marcie goes straight to the bank.
Dialogue runs like the wind in Walker plays because his characters are always thinking about their next move in order to keep three steps ahead of the sheriff. It’s clear director Wes Berger has a keen sense of the desperate worlds Walker creates, and certainly how his characters deal with that desperation.
The pacing and interplay is razor sharp. Scenes are beautifully compact, without one extraneous move. The cast of three are so accomplished it looks like they have been rehearsing for months. The humour comes from the characters’ wacky situations and how they make light of them. It’s done very seriously as all humour should be done—nothing will kill a joke or laugh-line faster than a character telegraphing where the laugh is.
Reid pops off Marcie’s lines with ease, yet still conveys her character’s weariness due to the state of her life. We watch her think on her feet—eyes focused, brain snatching at any idea that will help get her out of a jam. Burns plays Jo with a sense of hopelessness, but while Jo has a lot of worry, she has purpose and that keeps her going. Finally, van Leeuwen plays Amie as a devil-may-care party girl. She doesn’t seem to have a worry in the world but knows an opportunity when it presents itself.
For Leroy Street Theatre to have earned the rights to do a new Walker play and have cast the celebrated Fiona Reid in the part of Marcie is a coup. It’s a terrific production. See it before it closes on Monday.
For tickets or more information, click here.
Lynn Slotkin
Lynn is the former theatre critic for Intermission, and currently writes reviews on her blog The Slotkin Letter. She also does theatre reviews, interviews, and commentary for CIUT Friday Morning (89.5 FM). She was a theatre reviewer for CBC's Here and Now for ten years. On average, she sees 280 shows a year.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Photographed productions from L to R, top to bottom, with the photographer in brackets: seven methods of killing kylie jenner (Dahlia Katz), Big Stuff (Dahlia Katz), De Profundis (Dahlia Katz), Goblin:Macbeth (Jae Yang), Salesman in China (David Hou), Dana H. (John Lauener), Earworm (Dahlia Katz), Age Is a Feeling (Dahlia Katz), Honey I’m Home (Eden Graham).
Our favourite theatre productions of 2024, in Toronto and beyond
End-of-year lists are personal. When it comes to theatre, the question isn’t really what shows you liked most, but which ones left the strongest imprint, continuing to pinball around in your mind and heart even after the set is gone and the cast no longer recalls their lines.
iPhoto caption: A Christmas Story production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: A Christmas Story feels fresh at Theatre Aquarius
If you want to catch A Christmas Story before it closes, good luck — the show is close to sold out, and with the talent on that stage, it’s not hard to see why.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Danelle Jane Tran.
REVIEW: Yes, Holiday! An Improvised Musical really is different every night
Putting aside its opening number and a single proper noun, every word of Bad Dog Theatre’s Dora Award-nominated Holiday! An Improvised Musical has the potential to change from performance to performance.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Canadian Stage revives the Ross Petty panto with pop songs, puns, and a pinch of Ozdust
Making a case for the panto’s return, The Wizard of Oz is full of local references and charm, and perhaps even some surprise guests to fill audiences with hometown pride.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Marie-Andree Lemire.
REVIEW: Titaníque loves Céline Dion with all its heart
Content quibbles aside, Titaníque’s inarguable accomplishment is musical: What an amazing showcase for a Canadian cast’s vocal chops and capacity to deliver character through song.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Ben Laird.
REVIEW: Twelve Days brings Christmas joy to lunchtime in Calgary
Watching Twelve Days is reminiscent of opening up the door to a chocolate advent calendar: yes, you know what you’re gonna get, but heck if you don’t enjoy every second of it.
iPhoto caption: Marcel Stewart, Dan Mousseau, Christef Desir, Alex Bulmer, Shakura Dickson in The Story. Photo by Neil Silcox
It was frigid the night I saw the production, and when you are freezing and can’t feel your fingers or toes, time-wasting shenanigans wear thin.
iPhoto caption: Lena Maripuu, Graham Conway, and Peter Pan ensemble. Photo by Nicholas Porteous
Joy to the world—the most inventive, lively, whimsical production of Peter Pan has arrived for the holidays!
iPhoto caption: Robyn Stevan in The Mess. Photo by Dahlia Katz
Co-creators Mikaela Davies and Polly Phokeev have devised a short, complex, layered story of how the mess a person creates can affect those around them.
iPhoto caption: Company in the Grand Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol. Photo by Claus Andersen
Reviews: A Christmas Carol (x2)
Reviews of two productions of A Christmas Carol—Ross Petty Productions and the Grand Theatre, in London, Ont.—that couldn’t be more different.
iPhoto caption: David Schurmann and Carly Street in Heisenberg. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann
Of the three productions I’ve seen of Heisenberg—on Broadway in New York, the West End in London, and here in Toronto—this one is the best.
Comments