James Karas
Erin Shields’ play Instant, now playing in The Studio
of Young People’s Theatre, is billed as a timely play for
teens. That is true and laudable. The play is well done, entertaining and
connects with the spectrum of teens across the GTA.
The structure of the play and the production are simple and spartan. Meredith,
Rosie and Jay are three teenagers who go to the same school. Meredith (Michelle
Rambharose), like most youngsters, complains about being forced to take piano
lessons. One day, however, she hears a fugue being played and she connects to
the tune. She decides that she wants to use the tune as the basis for a song
that she wants to compose.
Leah Fong and Michelle Rambharose in Instant. Photo Andree Lanthier
Jay (Dakota Jamal Wellman) connects to hockey and decides that he wants
to be a hockey player. His dreams and his
ambition, desire and hard work, combine to make him achieve his dream.
Meredith and Jay are not white but that is just a minor difference in
skin colour. That is important and stated only subliminally.
Their friend Rosie’s (Leah Fong) father has MS and she needs to raise a
great deal of money for his medical needs. She goes on social media and is
enormously successful in attracting a large following.
The three are savvy and connected to social media, they have disagreements
but Shields focuses on their dreams and ambitions and wants to entertain us, no
doubt, but also convey lessons to the teens in
the audience.
These are not the white kids of most movies and TV shows with all the
angst and their middle class fights. They are not like everyone else; they are every teenager and that is one of the
points of the play.
The three actors are all in their twenties but they make credible
teenagers and give fine performances. Fong’s Rosie starts as a shy and awkward
kid but she grows and matures, as they all do. Rambharose as Meredith is
lively, enthusiastic and the type of teenager who gives early notice about her
intention to succeed.
Dakota Wellman in Instant. Photo: Andree Lanthier
Wellman’s Jake is just as dedicated to becoming a major league hockey
player but he (Erin Shields) adds a necessary caution about violence in hockey.
He is against it. The shy Rosie outstrips them both in her success on social
media.
The play is done virtually on an empty stage with judicious use of some
boxes and lighting. It lasts for about 45 minutes and time flies. You can do a
lot with very little.
The day I saw the play The Studio was full with grade nine and ten students
taking theatre at Middlefield Collegiate Institute in Markham, Ontario. It
looked like every ethnic group from Southeast Asia was represented with only a
few whites.
The choice of play, the quality of the production by Geordie Productions
of Montreal and the superb directing by Dean Patrick Fleming were all first
rate. Equally praiseworthy is YPT’s bringing in teenagers representing so many
ethnic groups to see a play. If we want Stratford, Shaw and theatre in general
to thrive, now is the time to groom the audience of the future.
___________
Instant by Erin Shields opened on November 28 and will continues
until December 15, 2017 at various
times at The Studio, Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front St. East, Toronto,
Ontario. www.youngpeoplestheatre.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment