Review: (Montreal) The Permanent Guest
He who would not leave
by David Sklar
We’ve all been there (and if you haven’t, count yourself lucky). We invite a friend to crash at our place, but they end up overstaying their welcome. And worse, they drink our booze! Welcome to The Permanent Guest. This brand new play premiered at the Freestanding Room. For anyone who’s been to the space before, you have to take into account what the weather’s like outside. Luckily, humidity hasn’t hit us yet.
The play, written by Jeffrey Blatt and Heidi Lynne Weeks has been in the works for several years now. The premise being, Drew, staying at his friend’s (Julia) apartment until she returns home ready to start a new chapter in her life. A wanna-be traveller, Julia thinks she has met the man of her dreams, James, a pilot ready to whisk her away. The only problem is that Drew has hidden feelings for her. And I’m sure you figured it out by now; Drew will do anything to remain by her side.
This one act play is short, cute and simple. Nothing here is too deep or complicated sometimes leaving the characters and plot rather one-dimensional. At times, overacted, but for the most part the actors followed through with the text they were given. James had the most zingers, which scored a hit with the crowd while Drew and Julia bricked like an old married couple. Drew’s improvised songs were a great addition.
The text’s conventionality wrapped everything up quickly and easily and allowed you to put all the pieces together before it ended. However, its heart is in the right place understanding that leaving home is easier said than done.
As this was the first time it has ever been presented in front of an audience, I hope this young company continues to develop new works, and grow from its productions.
Running from April 25 to May 4
Espace Freestanding Room
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We went to go see this play last night. As you stated we have all been there, the guest that just doesnt take the hint. We absolutely loved all the characters! The writing was brilliant. It was basically about a young lady (Julia) looking for her Prince Charming. Her character was brilliant and so funny, and her freeloader old friend (Drew) made you feel actually sorry for him, and it became obvious that he loved Julie whose home he was living in, then along comes the mysterious, charming and so suave the pilot(James) that swipes her off her feet. It was funny and the audience loved it and it allowed us to get lost in the lives of the everyday search for love.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your review of this play Sklar. It was mostly cliché and predictable without much originality. But I think we should give the two creators props for trying something new. They're actors and improvisers trying their hand at writing. I say Kudos for trying something new! :)
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