Day 9 and with these two plays my Fringe programming for this year was complete! It’s been another whirlwind this year, but I’m so grateful to have seen everything and experienced so much of the Fringe! These last two shows were pure delight in their own unique ways.

Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure – HA Productions

Tired of city life? Why not move yourself, and your two polyamorous partners to rural Saskatchewan? That’s what Sarah, Nathan, and Simon have done in Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure. Written and directed by Justin Hay, this hilarious story about love in all forms brought tears to my eyes for all of the right reasons.

I feel like the heart of the story is in the title, that it’s an “aspirational” adventure. In the story, there’s a lot of inter-generational conflict, yet ultimately the older generation is very understanding about the issues the younger ones present them. When they find that their own child is involved in this Polyamorous relationship, they’re initially shocked, but see the love their child receives from their partners and so they’re happy for them. Unfortunately, we all know that this is not the case for most queer people, especially when they’ve come from more conservative upbringings. Yet seeing not only the queer love on display, but also the acceptance from their family is so heartwarming.

Naima Sundiata, Ben Chinapen, Hidetaka Ishii, and Simon Sarnowski have the most excellent chemistry as the quartet of lovers. The way they so gently yet completely express how their character’s lifestyle functions, and how they show their love for one another made me smile throughout the entire performance. Maria Syrgiannis and Dan Willmott are so sweet as Jaime’s folks. Their emotional progression as they find out more information about not only their own child but their partners as well was very realistic, while also being the kind of folks most queer children dream of. The whole cast was delightfully funny and made me want to be a part of their family.

Seeing queer love on stage in this way, where there’s conscious attempts at understanding and acceptance filled my heart. Hopefully this is how the future can look for more families of all kinds.

https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/saskatchewan-aspirational-polyamorous-adventure

Escape from Toronto – Plisskin Productions

It’s 1997…the future. The city of Toronto has become one massive maximum security prison. Snake Plisskin, macho man extraordinaire must complete his mission and escape from Toronto in 24 hours, or else. Written by and starring Tamlynn Bryson and Rod Peter Jr, this side-splitting satire will leave you laughing long after the production’s finished.

Escape from Toronto is a multi-faceted comedy which leaves no stone unturned for comedic potential. Parodying the action films of the mid to late nineties, the play is full of references to the attitudes, celebrities, and even dance moves of the time. Snake Plisskin’s misogyny is so over the top that it could only have been written and performed by a woman. I loved how every time the other characters wouldn’t agree with Snake, he would find the same audience member to high-five; it made the audience roar with laughter every time.

The use of the overhead projector for the more filmic moments of the production was genius. They were able to have explosions, plane crashes, and more in a far more comedic way than had it been digital projections. I loved the moment during the fight scene where there was director’s commentary from Bryson and Peter Jr. They truly didn’t leave out any cliches from this production!

Bryson gives a fantastic performance as Snake Plisskin; her physicality throughout the performance had me exhausted just watching her! Rod Peter Jr. is a perfect foil to Bryson, with his more side-kick type characters providing their own unique sense of comedy to the story.

This is such a fun and clever production. If it comes to a city near you, make sure you get out to see it!

https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/escape-toronto

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