Ding-ding! Canadian Stage is back for another round of incredible theatre with their 23/24 season debut, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog. Masterfully directed by Tawiah M’Carthy, Topdog/Underdog is heavyweight hard-hitting story about two brothers, with unfortunate historical names, struggling through hard times. With an engaging script, stellar performances, and the constant pull of the inevitability of the story, Topdog/Underdog hits its mark.
Topdog/Underdog is about Lincoln and Booth, so named as a joke by their father, who were orphaned by their parents in their early teens. Since then, they’ve been looking out for one another, getting money any way they know how; particularly through “throwing cards” in three-card-Monty games on the street. With each new ‘round’ and ding of the bell, we watch as they inch closer and closer to the inevitable ending their names imply, culminating in a tragic but perfect ending. It’s a powerhouse of a show, and certainly left me questioning how much of it was real, and in what way the audience is also the mark of the show itself.
I must admit, the pacing of this show at first felt a little strange; I’ve never seen so much changing of clothes on stage as I have with this show. At times, it drew out the action significantly, as there wasn’t always dialogue happening on stage while the changes were taking place. But the more I’ve reflected on it, I think part of what Parks and M’Carthy are going for is a physical three-card-Monty with the actors. Every time they change clothes they switch the cards of their personalities around. The other interesting element is that Lincoln comes on stage in whiteface at the beginning of the show. We find out that the character Lincoln plays his namesake at the Arcade where customers can come in and reenact one of the most famous presidential assassinations with cap guns. I was shocked at first, and yet understood that the tables have been turned the other way for so long, that it’s a valuable lesson for white audience members to experience. Everything had meaning in this production, you could tell from the moment you walked in the theatre, and I think some very interesting choices were made in bringing this to life.
Rachel Forbes’ set design for Topdog/Underdog is fabulous. The apartment where the brothers live is set inside a boxing ring; a brilliant nod to Abraham Lincoln’s background as a boxer. It also gave this very claustrophobic tightness to the setting, making tensions between Lincoln and Booth understandably high. Joyce Padua’s costumes are beautiful, ranging from Lincoln’s dingy work coat to the finery Booth lifts from a department store; they help us understand not only where the characters are in life, but where they’re hoping to go.
Topdog/Underdog is absolutely well-cast with two mesmerizing actors. Sébastien Heins plays the elder brother Lincoln, and exudes his customary charm and wit in the role. Opposite him is Mazin Elsadig as Booth, his swagger and earnestness a perfect foil to his brother. Their chemistry was fantastic, particularly in the final scene where the stakes are the highest; you could have cut the tension with a knife thanks to their incredible performances. I was impressed with the work that both actors did with the card trick consultant Scott Hammell, as they certainly had their pitter-patter down pat. Like I said before, it felt hard to know who was playing whom and for how long, and that comes down to their brilliant performances; this show leaves you thinking and that’s always a plus in my book!
Topdog/Underdog is such an intense kick-off to another exciting year of programming from Canadian Stage so don’t miss it! You’ll certainly be sorry if you do! The production runs until October 15th at the Berkeley Street Theatre. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.canadianstage.com/shows-events/season/topdog-underdog
Cover photo of Sébastien Heins and Mazin Elsadig by Dahlia Katz.
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