Review: (Ottawa) Detroit

David Benedict Brown and Stephanie Izsak

Party Madness is infectious
by Jim Murchison

The play is called Detroit, but the themes of diminishing urban and suburban community and evaporating middle class are pretty universal. As technology shrinks the world and social networking expands our virtual lives, it is actual relationships and frank conversation that bring joy and release from pressure and financial distress.

Attila Clemman's set has two adjoining back yards that tell slightly different stories about their occupants. One home has the backyard barbecue, patio furniture and sliding glass doors. The other has the rickety screen door, unfinished deck and backyard debris. The laundry hanging from the clotheslines serve as a screen for projections of neighbourhood scenes and Madison Avenue images of perfect commercial backyard barbecue moments.