“Again?” The first line of George F. Walker’s unpublished work Fierce fully embodies everything that we’re about to witness in a single word. Moss Theatre Collective’s inaugural production is an intense two-hander which delves into the lives of a recently-released inmate and her psychiatrist as they use some…unconventional methods to open up and gain each other’s trust. Featuring two of Moss Theatre Collective’s founding members giving powerful performances, and directed by Walker, Fierce lives up to its name, and then some.

Jayne definitely looks like she’s been hit by a truck, and this time she actually has been. Jayne has arrived at Maggie’s office for court-ordered psychiatric treatment after she went on a drug and alcohol fuelled bender which resulted in her walking out into traffic. But Jayne has also done her homework on Maggie, who used to deal drugs when she was a teenager. Stories and traumas are exchanged as the two women attempt to find common ground, yet all the while the professionalism of their relationship begins to fade away (if it was even there in the first place). Mired in the lies they’ve told themselves, fact and fiction become fuzzy concepts in this deeply moving play.

An element of Walker’s writing which I appreciate is his ability to show troubled or downtrodden humans with empathy and humanity. Fierce is a brilliant example of this, as we have two women who have found themselves in drastically different positions. Maggie had a hard start to life, made plenty of mistakes, but worked hard to get herself through it and to a position where she can help others (albeit that element gets called into question as the play progresses). Jayne has had the opposite happen to her: she used to be a teacher, a guidance counsellor even, but then when a tragedy occurs she doesn’t have the tools to cope and begins to make plenty of mistakes which have now landed her in Maggie’s office. Walker’s work reminds us of a harsh reality which I think we tend to actively ignore: we’re all just a few poor decisions away from being like Jayne or young Maggie. While circumstance and privilege obviously have a large impact on our stations in life, in Fierce we see how all of that can be abandoned or taken away in the blink of an eye. 

Douglas Tiller’s set design is such a brilliant representation of the production. For the most part, it looks like any stereotypical office: cool toned paint, the standard unrecognizable art on the walls, with a desk and some furniture. Yet in the corners and where the beams of the roof intersect with the walls, there are cracks. Cracks in the paint which branch out just slightly from where the paint is removed – a visible reminder of the facade which we all maintain and the darkness which lurks underneath. Without giving too much away, there is one moment in particular where Daniel Shiels’ lighting design really dazzles, and so totally fit how I thought that moment would look. 

Liz Best and Elizabeth Friesen give heartrending yet fiery performances as Maggie and Jayne. Best starts out the show with Maggie projecting the tough exterior which I imagine she’d be forced to have given her line of work. However, throughout the play Best brings a truth and heart to Maggie which makes her relatable not only to the audience, but to Jayne as well. Friesen gives Jayne an edge which makes her feel fun yet dangerous throughout the play. Freisen’s comedic timing and delivery were spot on. My only note would be about the sling; she comes in wearing it, and takes it off to be more comfortable which makes sense. But then later in the show she’s using that arm to get herself off the couch etc, which I would think would be quite painful. It’s a small thing, truly, but it did throw me off a little bit. What wasn’t off in the slightest is the chemistry and banter between Best and Friesen, which carries the show and makes it the gripping production we witness. The characters seem to know just how to push each other’s buttons and Best and Friesen play that up to its fullest extent.

Fierce is a play about the tenacity it takes to pull ourselves up from the dark times of our lives, and facing the harsh realities which have landed us there. Walker’s works have a compassion to them which make them unique, and recognizable as a George F. Walker play. Running until September 21st at the Alumnae Theatre Studio Space (stair access only), you won’t want to miss Fierce. For more information and tickets, visit: https://mosstheatrecollective.ca/productions/

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Cover photo: Elizabeth Friesen and Liz Best. Photo by Nicholas Porteous

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