I’m afraid of the dark, and so is Chris, and at his family’s cottage on Stag Island it is VERY dark at night. Based on the children’s book by Colonel Chris Hadfield, The Darkest Dark is a story about conquering your fears, set against the backdrop of the first Lunar landing. Co-written by Kate Fillion, Ian MacIntyre, Hadfield, and director Jim Millan, The Darkest Dark is a trip to the cosmos through the eyes of a to-be astronaut.
The Hadfields have arrived on Stag Island for their annual summer trip hoping for a nice relaxing vacation. However, their son Chris is having trouble sleeping on his own: there are shadow aliens and owl noises and something glowing green under the bed. Mom and Dad, and his big sister Cindy, are tired of being woken up every night and being asked to sleep in Chris’ child-sized bed with him. During the day, Chris hangs out with his friends Herbie and Jane, who make up the rest of the Stag Island Space Agency; all three of them are beyond excited for the impending moon landing. But Chris’ parents say that if he doesn’t sleep through the night, then they won’t let him watch the landing! How is Chris supposed to sleep when you can’t even see the shadow aliens who lurk about ready to get him?
Photo by Dahlia Katz
If I’m being totally honest, The Darkest Dark actually made me tear up a bit. The story is about confronting your fears, and I’m afraid of quite a few things. What was the most moving though, was how it wasn’t just Chris who had to face his fears: his friend Herbie didn’t know how to swim (yet was out in a canoe) and his friend Jane tried to act in their play but was so scared that she got sick into her space helmet. When Herbie hears about the ultimatum Chris has received from his parents, he takes a huge cannonball into the river and swims around a bit! This deep level of friendship that the children share is so moving; to have friends who not only understand your fears but are willing to face their own to help you fight yours is a truly beautiful thing.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
Anna Treusch’s set and costume design perfectly placed us in the summer of 1969 – from psychedelic wallpaper to full hippie wear for canoe instructor Keith, to the loafers being worn by little Herbie, the 60’s are alive and well at YPT. The main set piece is a cabin on one side, which can be split to create the illusion of multiple cabins as well, with Chris’ room on the opposite side. Around it are 5 swirling pieces of fabric with one large one at the back of the stage. These are used for all manner of projections, including an opening video message from Colonel Hadfield, as well as real footage and photos from the 1969 Apollo mission. Bonnie Beecher’s lighting design paired with Danielle Guevara’s projection design literally take us from the control room at NASA to the moon and back to Stag Island all in 70 minutes.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
Ziska Louis, Hannah Forest Briand, and Anthony Perpuse play Chris, Jane, and Herbie (aka the Stag Island Space Agency). The three of them are so vivacious and enthusiastic, it was difficult to recall that they’re not actually kids. While some actors can fall into a trap of going overboard while trying to play children, these three pull it off spectacularly. Evelyn Wiebe plays the petulant teen sister Cindy, and certainly plays into the stereotypes of the love-sick big sister (think Candace from “Phineas and Ferb”). Lisa Ryder and Ron Penderson play Mom and Dad; the level of frustration and exhaustion they begin to show as Chris isn’t sleeping felt almost too real, in a very relatable way. Shaquille Pottinger rounds out the cast as Keith, the hippie canoe instructor. His vocal fry and constant peace signs are hilarious; another firm reminder of the time period in question. His exuberance matches the kids perfectly, making this cast feel lively and fun.
My fiancé has been obsessed with space for his whole life, just like Chris. He was so pleased that the scientific facts which Chris recites in the play are totally correct, teaching the next generation some of the coolest things about space. But what’s more, hopefully the little ones will learn, like Chris, that if we shift our way of thinking then the things we’re afraid of aren’t so scary any more.
The Darkest Dark runs on the Ada Slaight Stage at Young People’s Theatre until March 16. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.youngpeoplestheatre.org/shows-tickets/the-darkest-dark/
Cover Photo: Ron Penderson and Ziska Louis. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
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