Review: Twisted by Joseph Jomo Pierre & Charlotte Corbeil Coleman

Twisted by Joseph Jomo Pierre & Charlotte Corbeil Coleman

Publishing Date: June 19, 2017
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Pages: 96
Drama

The Premise from the Publisher: "Growing up, Nancy believed in magic despite a hand-me-down life in a small town. So it’s no wonder the buzzing excitement of Toronto and its allure of freedom was a likely choice for her new home, the place she finds herself years later selling her body for drugs. Nancy is further from freedom than ever under the wings of Sikes, a drug dealer and pimp. When she meets Oliver, a seventeen-year-old who lands at Sikes’s feet after a life of foster care and shelters, the two find unlikely solace in each other. As text messages are exchanged by the instant, and truths are revealed, Nancy and Oliver form an unbreakable bond in order to write a new story together" (PCP).

My overall thought and review: This play has been pitched as "part Dickens, part Drake," both which I like. It was nice seeing some Drake aspects pop up, and seeing the setting of Toronto. In this play, Dicken's Oliver is re-imagined as Ollie and he becomes intertwined with Nancy, who sells her body for drugs. They find a connection together and what the viewer sees is a series of text messages. Apparently when the play is performed live, the text messages are shown on screen, which is a nice touch and I would definitely like to see live. I liked these text messages because they seemed as if Ollie and Nancy inhabited a world where it was just the two of them. They both want to 'escape' this life of drugs and pimps, and they want more to life, together. Things change when Nancy asks Ollie to help her 'save' someone and start a new beginning. Things get complicated because of Sikes and Dodger, who do not take kindly to snitches. Both playwrights each took to writing one character, and I liked seeing that each character was quite distinct in their voices and actions. They stood on their own. However, where this play falls short for me is that it didn't feel quite cohesive. I didn't feel like it was Dicken's Oliver Twist being re-imagined, but rather just a character named Ollie. I actually found Nancy to have more OT characteristics. The play does touch on addiction with Nancy, and as the viewer/reader, you really see towards the end of the play how much it controls her. That being said, I didn't feel like it was fully explored and I would've liked to see more about that. This is really Nancy's story in my opinion, and I personally would've liked to see more about Nancy than Ollie. Overall, it was a nice play, but it touches on big topics ever so slightly. I would be curious to see if seeing it performed live would have a different effect as opposed to reading the play.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮ (3/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Playwrights Canada Press, Chapters/Indigo, and Amazon

Disclaimer: A copy of the play was sent by Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions of the book are my own. 

Review: The Fish Eyes Trilogy by Anita Majumdar

The Fish Eyes Trilogy by Anita Majumdar; Illustrated by Maria Nguyen

Publishing Date: February 22, 2016
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press/Banff Centre Press
Pages: 128
Drama

The Premise from the Publisher: "Fish Eyes is the story of Meena, a classically trained Indian dancer who, despite being obsessed with Bollywood movies and her dance career, just wants to be like the rest of her high-school friends. When she develops a massive crush on Buddy, the popular boy at school, Meena contemplates turning down an incredible opportunity to pursue him, even if he barely notices her. Boys With Cars follows Naz, also a classically trained Indian dancer, who dreams of getting out of small town Port Moody to attend the University of British Columbia. But when Buddy causes a stir over Naz at school, Naz’s university plans begin to crumble quickly. Let Me Borrow That Top centres on Candice, a girl who appropriates Meena’s Indian dance skills and bullies Naz after a nasty rumour spreads through the halls of their high school. But like her two enemies, Candice shares a passion for Indian dancing, and has just been accepted to the Conventry School of Bhangra. Will she leave behind the comforts of home to pursue her dreams?" (PCP)

My overall thoughts and review: I was browsing BookExpo at Congress 2017, and I came across the Playwrights Canada Press booth, where my lovely friend, Jessica, was working. We got to talking about my research interests since I was there presenting a paper. For those of you that don't know, I've worked on a few projects looking at consent and trauma. Authors that address it and handle it in a good way have a special place in my heart. I've always believed that we should draw attention to issues regarding consent and bring it into discussion so that we can prevent issues like that. Jess recommended this trilogy of three plays which follows three different female characters and one of the plays has a case of sexual assault and consent. The stories incorporate Indian dance which is something I'm unfamiliar with and was glad to learn about and there are illustrations done by Maria Nguyen. The illustrations were a nice touch to go alongside the play because some of them include the dance moves. I'm going to review them in the other that they appear in the text.

Fish Eyes was definitely my favorite of the three. I found myself relating to Meena a lot, with the struggle of doing what you want and what you have to do. She has a crush on Buddy which gets in the way of her relationship with her dance teacher, Kalyani Aunty. It was really nice to see the parallels between Meena and Kalyani and how they both experienced love and disappointment. In the end, it wrapped up quite nicely. One aspect that definitely made me cringe and uncomfortable was the character of Candice and how she would appropriate Indian-culture. What Majumdar presents is real and there are people that appropriate different cultures and that is extremely problematic. I liked that Meena did not stand for that. I'll get back to the Candice character shortly.

Boys With Cars follows Naz who wants to escape to UBC, but falls in love with a character named Lucky along the way. What Majumdar does that is incredibly unique is that across the three plays, the characters stay the same? Whereas, the next play is about a character that runs in the same circle, so to speak. Lucky is best friends with Buddy, who is Candice' boyfriend. The story follows Naz after an event that rocks her to the core. At a dance event, while Candice is performing, Buddy grabs Naz's hand and places it on himself during an event. What happens after is Candice bullying Naz for "going after Buddy" and Lucky lashes out and does not want to hear Naz's side of the story. The play once again gives us a series of events that feel really "real" and authentic to the situation. Naz takes control of the situation in the end and fights back in her own way which I really appreciated. But the feelings of self-doubt in her apology to Lucky, about how she should've done more felt incredibly authentic because the victim in some cases may often blame themselves which is really unfortunate. It definitely made me sad to see how Lucky reacted to the situation and it pissed me off even more that Buddy faced no consequences for his actions.

Let Me Borrow That Top follows Candice, the girl who was trying to appropriate dance culture and also bullied Naz incessantly. There's an authors note that states this play should never be performed in isolation and I would say the same can be said for when reading it. You have to read it in order to get a full sense of each and every character. I know that this play was meant to give some ~humanity~ to Candice and show her struggles as a character. You see her presenting a make-up tutorial for her youtube viewers while talking about the events. She is holding up a pregnancy test while telling her viewers that she broke up with Buddy and has aspirations to attend the Coventry School of Bhangra dance. The reader learns a few things regarding Candice's sister and Buddy, and you see her struggle between choosing her future, or if it is already chosen for her. I did not like Candice even by the end of this, but I did appreciate the way she handled Buddy and stuck it to him at the dance.

Overall, I really did enjoy this trilogy of three plays. I liked how it was done in a unique way, where it wove together various narratives within the same environment. I liked that you really got a sense of a character's voice through every play. Each play explores the struggles each girls face in terms of future and love. Also, I really appreciated how the author handled the issue of consent and sexual assault in the second play. If you are a fan of female coming-of-age stories, I would definitely recommend this trilogy of plays!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Playwrights Canada Press, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, and Amazon 

Disclaimer: A copy of the play was sent by Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions of the book are my own. 

Review: Redheaded Stepchild by Johnnie Walker

Redheaded Stepchild by Johnnie Walker 

Publishing Date: October 6, 2016
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Pages: 64
Comedy

The Premise from the Publisher: "Nicholas is a twelve-year-old with red hair whose dad just remarried. This makes Nicholas a literal redheaded stepchild. And tomorrow at lunch, the biggest boy in grade six plans to beat him up—he even made a Facebook event. Should Nicholas skip school, even if it means missing the chance to audition for the class play and impressing his English teacher Mr. Barton? His new stepmom, a chain-smoking, ex-Jehovah’s Witness golf pro named Mary-Anne doesn’t want him playing hooky. And Rufus Vermilion, Nicholas’s fabulous and charismatic alter ego, also has opinions about it. But when events in the schoolyard leave both Mary-Anne and Rufus speechless, it’s up to Nicholas to pick up the pieces and do some serious growing up" (PCP).

My overall thoughts and review: When I read the premise of this play on the Playwrights Canada Press website, I was instantly intrigued. The idea of a 12-year old child who has to deal with being a stepchild, wanting to audition for a school play, and deal with a bully? I knew I wanted to read this immediately. Nicholas has an alter-ego named Rufus, who is incredibly opinionated. The play opens up with Rufus, and he was hilarious and charming. He explains Nicholas' situation about wanting to avoid school the next day because a group of bullies (Ashton Maly) made a Facebook event to beat up Nicholas like a 'redheaded stepchild.' Unfortunately for Nicholas, he really wants to go to school because he wants to audition for a play and impress his teacher Mr. Barton. His step-mom, Mary-Anne doesn't think he should skip and sends him off to school knowing full well about the Facebook event to happen. The three characters: Nicholas, Rufus, and Mary, are all played by the same performer and when I was reading it, I had a bit of a hard time envisioning it, so I really would love to see it performed. I loved how it was a smooth transition between characters and each character had a very distinct voice. Even though it is a short play, I loved that Nicholas came to embrace himself for who he is, despite his red hair. In the audition, instead of reading Bottom's speech like he was planning to, he went for reading Helena's lines. I just love that he stuck to his guns and went to school. I also loved how Mary handled the situation when he got home and they bonded. It was a really sweet moment when he told Mary that she wasn't an evil-step mom. Overall, this was a really funny, charming, and sweet play. I especially appreciated the fact that the author wrote a foreword and introduction because it was interesting to learn about his inspirations behind the play. Walker refered to Rufus as Nicholas' Ziggy Stardust and I loved that. Regardless if you have red hair or not, I definitely think there's something to take away from the play and that is we have all felt different, or even bullied at some point. I completely empathized with Nicholas' story and also with Mary, who had to fill a new role. I really enjoyed this and I think readers of all ages will surely enjoy this one.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Playwrights Canada Press, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: A copy of the play was sent by Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions of the book are my own. 

Review: The List by Jennifer Tremblay; Translated by Shelley Tepperman

The List by Jennifer Tremblay; Translated by Shelley Tepperman

Publishing Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Pages: 80
Drama, Quebec Writers, Women Writers

The Premise from the Publisher: "A woman invites us into her life of compulsive lists and endless chores. Despite her meticulousness, a task goes unfinished with tragic consequences. Is she to culpable for her neighbour's death? A riveting story of everyday to-do lists in which the essential and the ordinary are inextricably entwined" (PCC).

- Winner of the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award for French Drama

- Finalist for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award for Translation

My overall thoughts and review: When I first read the premise of this book, I immediately felt a connection with the protagonist because of her compulsion to make lists. I always make lists and I find even for the smallest tasks, I still put it on my list. There is a big sense of satisfaction that comes with completing something on the list. The story follows and unnamed woman who speaks to the audience about how not finishing one "task" on her list leads to the death of her neighbor. Even though, I don't think she was directly to blame, the woman takes all the blame upon herself. It is quite an interesting dynamic because the play touches on themes of negligence, responsibility, and motherhood. I'm not a mother myself, but I found myself really empathizing with the main character and also, Caroline. There was one line in the play that really got to me and that was: "With children love is so easy" (26) and I feel like it speaks volumes. I really enjoyed the style of the play as well. It is written in free-verse (list-style in a sense), but there is so much feeling in the smallest of passages. It gives you a lot to think about how small things play a role in a bigger outcome. It also questions the notion of responsibility as a mother, a wife, a neighbor, and a friend. I really enjoyed reading this and I think it would be fantastic to see it on stage. Apparently Tremblay published a sequel to this text, so I'm definitely keen on picking it up and other things written by Tremblay.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Playwrights Canada Press, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was sent by Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions of the book are my own. 

Review: I Am For You by Mieko Ouchi

I Am For You by Mieko Ouchi

Publishing Date: October 20, 2016
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Pages: 80
Asian Canadian Theatre

The Premise from the Publisher: "Fighting words . . . Lainie and Mariam have it out for each other, so it’s no surprise when they finally come to violent blows in the middle of their high school’s drama room. That’s when Caddell Morris, an ex-professional actor and newly minted student teacher, steps in. By teaching the girls the art of stage combat, he hopes to help them understand more about the roots and costs of violence. But when he convinces the drama teacher to let them play Mercutio and Tybalt in their school production of Romeo and Juliet, swords, words, and egos battle and clash. Can they find a way to work together?" (PCP).

My overall thoughts and review: I believe this is my first play review ever on the blog which is quite exciting! I read quite a few plays in my undergrad and I've picked up a few here and there, but I haven't really read much in terms of Canadian theatre. When I read the premise of this and saw that it incorporated elements of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, I was instantly intrigued. As many problems as that play had, I found that after reading what Ouchi created, I had a new found appreciation for the play Shakespeare wrote. Ouchi touched on elements of how violence plays a big factor and it isn't simply about violence over love, but violence within friendships and family as well. The premise is incredibly interesting, there are two classmates that end up fighting: Mariam and Lainie, and when their student teacher breaks them apart, he decides to have them spend a day with him to learn stage combat. The parts where the learning of the stage combat is done is incredibly intricate. I could see it unfolding in my mind and it truly is an 'art' - every movement is carefully crafted and calculated. The girls end up showing quite a lot of promise that Caddell decides to put them in the school production of Romeo & Juliet as Mercutio and Tybalt. I really liked that through their experiences and their acting, they were able to look at one another differently. I really enjoyed reading this play by Ouchi and I definitely want to look into other plays that she has written. I think fans of YA literature would definitely enjoy this because there's a strong emphasis on themes of bullying and friendship.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Playwrights Canada Press, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was sent by Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions of the book are my own.