Luke Reece LOVES dinosaurs and the ROM but does NOT like how everyone quotes Star Wars to him when they meet him. We find out these quirky facts and so much more in Reece’s solo show As I Must Live It. Set on the school playground where he had some of his most deep discussions and revelations, As I Must Live It delves into the harsh realities of his father’s mental illness and how it had an effect on Reece and his entire family. Spoken word, audience participation, and overall stellar storytelling make As I Must Live It an interesting theatrical experience.

As I Must Live It takes us through Reece’s memories from early childhood until very recently, detailing his father’s struggles with OCD, Anxiety, and Depression. Reece is extremely candid about not only his father’s difficulties, but how it affected his whole family. This honesty comes through in every moment of the show, whether it’s through a poem or story being told, we get a progressively clearer picture of Reece’s life. Powerful from start to finish, As I Must Live It is part tribute to the man his father used to be, and part lament of the life he could be having with him now.

There were a couple of moments in particular which really impacted me emotionally. Reece mentions that his Nona unfortunately passed away just before they began rehearsals for this production; he had been talking about how she swooped in and really helped out his mom and the kids after his father’s diagnosis and continued that support throughout his life. Projected on the various screens around the space was a picture of his Nona (maternal grandmother) and his father’s mother, sitting at the table together while his Nona made pasta. The joy on their faces brought tears to my eyes, knowing that he won’t get to see her beautiful smile any more. Another was when Reece was talking about his paternal grandfather, again showing photos of them together, smiling and talking. The support which his grandfather has always shown for Reece’s work is so lovely, and you could feel the love that Reece has for him when he spoke of him.

As I Must Live It’s design, by Jackie Chau, is delightful; immediately bringing us back to the playgrounds of our youth, with the metal merry-go-round in the middle of the space. Most millennials have at least one story about how they nearly died on one of those at some point in their young lives. Reece did make use of the vast majority of the Theatre Passe Muraille mainspace, an impressive feat for a solo show! Using the upper levels as well as the full extent of the main floor, his dynamic movement matched the intensity of his storytelling. The seating for this production is totally unlike anything I’ve seen: giant tires have been painted and stacked and turned into seating for the audience, along with some wooden benches, and thankfully a cushion or two. It gives the feeling that we’re all just Reece’s friends, hanging out on the playground, listening to his latest story. While this unconventional seating did make some blind spots in the space, audiences are encouraged to get up and move around if necessary to see the performance. This intimacy also helps with the direct address and audience participation moments which occur frequently throughout the performance.

Luke Reece is a dynamic, engaging storyteller. His poetry is heartfelt and meaningful, and his spoken-word style delivery is passionate and exciting. At the performance I attended, there were several audience members who are from Mississauga where Reece grew up, and experienced a lot of the events he was discussing with him; one of the audience members even gets mentioned in the play. It added an unexpected level of familiarity and joy to the performance. I think my favourite piece was his poem to his mother; it was full of all of the things we wish we could say, but it’s not usually okay to do. The anger and frustration all comes out in that poem and I loved it.

As I Must Live It is certainly an event you won’t want to miss. This singular and personal work about storytelling and how we remember these difficult times in our lives is sure to leave a lasting impression. As I Must Live It runs until March 2nd at Theatre Passe Muraille. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.passemuraille.ca/as-i-must-live-it/

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Cover Photo: Luke Reece. Photo by Cesar Ghisileri

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