Twenty-Something Theatre
Prodigals
By Sean Minogue

Dates and Venue 27 Apr - 2 May 2010 @ 8pm | Havana Theatre, Vancouver

Reviewer Ed Farolan

Here is a play by a new playwright and acted out by up and coming professionals. Here is a play directed by Peter Boychuk, also a playwright, and also this production's Dramaturge. Results? Great writing, fabulous acting, and a good omen for things to come in Canadian Theatre.

Artistic Producer Sabrina Evertt has collected the right elements to produce great chemistry, and I must say, I was impressed by this production. It's the kind of theatre that's focused and well-done. A lot of work was put into the rewriting of this play, and with Minogue's and Boychuk's skills, a compact and knitty-gritty play was the result.

Opening night gave the actors a deserved warm and appreciative applause during curtain call. The female actors (Tara Pratt and Abby Renee Creek) were the best, in my opinion. They exuded their characters, owning lines as if they were those characters. An excellent example of method acting. I also enjoyed the charisma and energy of Jameson Parker (Greg) who kept the play alive with his personality.

Timothy Johnston, Aslam Husain and Brandyn Eddy were slow to start, cold in the beginning of the play, but got warmer as the play progressed. I felt a bit annoyed in the beginning by seemingly useless dialogues, but as the play progressed I got more into it. I was moved particularly by Tara Pratt's conflicting emotions as she was torn by the man she truly loved, or the "good stable guy" she didn't love.

We've reviewed a few shows by Twenty Something Theatre, and I'd say this company has been producing plays of quality, giving challenging roles and plays to Vancouver's new actors, many of whom are graduates from Theatre programs in BC universities.

Again, congratulations to cast and crew for a job well done!

© 2010 Ed Farolan