The Small Things by Daniel McIvor @ PTE

Prairie Theatre Exchange open the 2015 season with another new play by Canadian Daniel McIvor. The Small Things focuses on a home care worker in a small town and her daughter, who encounter an  older widow. The premise is simple; mother and daughter don't understand one another, encounter the wise and surprising older woman, and learn more about each other and themselves in the process. The execution (both the writing and production) take this premise to a more interesting level, offering unexpected twists from each of the women, and some very funny moments of revelation about our own apprehensions to things we don't think are "for us".

The performances are quite lovely, most notably Ellen Peterson who gives a strong and nuanced performance. Alyssa Watson is also touching as the daughter. Barbara Gordon (and her brilliant voice) are highly enjoyable, the three of which come together nicely under Bob Metcalfe's direction.

My only quibble is that the play felt like it wrapped up entirely too quickly, the final scene feeling a bit too neatly tied up, and (I expect) unintentionally Chekhovian, with the three characters gazing outward and exclaiming about something which is beautiful, oh so beautiful.

Best Brothers by Daniel McIvor - Prairie Theatre Exchange

Daniel McIvor brings us a very Canadian story with this tale of two brothers whose mother has died under curious circumstances (crushed by a large drag queen falling off a pride day float) and now the pair must deal with their loss together. The two could not be less alike, with the elder a straight laced hard working type-A architect, married with an ostentatiously expensive flat in Toronto (an entire scene plays out on the subject of his $250,000 kitchen. honestly...). The younger is a gregarious real estate agent, dressed regularly in purple through the show, and the reason for his mother's presence at the pride parade. The third "brother" is their mother's beloved dog - who truly had the mother's love, unlike her less furry sons. 

The piece was snappily directed by Bob Metcalfe with a keen attention to the darkly humourous subject matter, and well performed by the two performers. I would have liked to see more detailed physical work go into the scenes where the sons donned a hat and gloves and "took on" their mother's persona for a series of monologues. While these had potential to be sparkling, they came across as caricatures of the mother, which for me lost some of the impact. 

My overriding feeling, however, was that the play itself appeals to that part of us that wants to live that "ideal" life - the part that wants to write the perfect obituary for the slightly eccentric widowed mother, and whinge over such things as a $250,000 kitchen. But to be fair, I don't think that part of many of us even exists. 

We've struggled for years to create a truly Canadian theatre with our own voice separated from that of the British and American theatres, and I worry that this sort of piece sets us back.