Review: (Toronto) Family Story (Summerworks)

A Story Well Told
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Do you have a family story you can tell? Family Story, a Birdtown and Swanville production, is like many family stories. It is twisted, convoluted and of course complicated. Brilliantly written and directed by Aurora Stewart de Pena, it's a story about the Milkaffer family, currently living in the prairies of Manitoba as the youngest daughter tries to figure out her family past and why she is the way she is. 

Part play and part exhibit, Family Story truly engages the audience as the actors run, scurry and dance around the audience utilizing the objects around them. Even with very little space, the actors are still able to demonstrate their knack for physical comedy. They effortlessly transform into different characters that help shape the family tree and ultimately each other's destinies.  Much of the visual art is handmade and wonderfully crafted. I particularly like the adorable headphones made out of cardboard. The backdrop, a large picture booklet, effectively sets the stage as we are flipped backwards and forwards through time. With a solid cast and good writing, Family Story is indeed a story well told.

Family Story is at SummerWorks