Most parents dread becoming empty-nesters, though few imagine that it’ll happen overnight. Jacob and Mary Mercer are certainly shocked when it happens to them. David French’s Leaving Home, directed by Jake Planinc, is a roller coaster of emotions contained within a couple of rooms in the Mercer home. Uniquely staged and featuring an excellent cast, Leaving Home leaves you feeling like a fly on the wall of the worst day of this family’s life.

Wesley Babcock’s scenic design makes for a tight squeeze in the Coal Mine Theatre, yet they are able to put chairs on all four sides of the set. With half walls to give the illusion of the house, the inside is a perfect 1950’s living room and kitchen, complete with an old school fridge, the same sofa and chairs you’ve likely seen at your grandparents’ houses, and a beautiful turntable cabinet. The audience’s proximity to the performers is part of what creates this sense of being a voyeur into their lives; it’s like looking in on your Sims as they go about their day. Kaelen MacDonald’s costume designs cement the 50’s feel, with petticoats, cardigans, and tweed suits galore. The attention to detail in this production is impressive, even ensuring that there’s real food on stage for the characters to eat (which smelled amazing) and having the turntable function inside its cabinet.

It’s a happy time for the Mercer family…well, sort of anyways. Their youngest son Bill is getting married because his sweetheart, Kathy, is pregnant. We meet the family on the day of the rehearsal: Kathy is coming over for dinner before everyone heads over to the church. Meanwhile the eldest son, Ben, has just graduated from high school the evening prior, but they didn’t invite their father to be there. The tension amongst the Mercers is already high before Ben tells Mary that he wants to move in with Billy and Kathy, to help them pay the rent, but once Jacob finds out, it becomes clear why Ben is so anxious to leave the family home. Kathy’s arrival brings life-altering news for the young couple, as the necessity of their marriage suddenly seems less of a priority. Tempers flare as plans are revealed, religions clash, and a lifetime of familial bliss is suddenly called into question.

The Mercers have settled in Toronto, but Mary and Jacob are originally from Newfoundland; though their accents betray their heritage long before they tell you where they’re from. Their son is about to marry the daughter of one of Jacob’s former flings from back home. The intertwined nature of the families despite them all having moved far from home is fascinating; even in a large city like Toronto they can still find fellow Newfoundlanders. What’s equally as interesting is what divided them in the first place: religion. Jacob speaks proudly of his Protestantism, and mentions several times how his father was an Orangeman and marched in the parades. In marrying Kathy, Bill is going to have to convert to being a Catholic, which is borderline unthinkable to Jacob, especially once it’s divulged that he wasn’t allowed to do the same when he was in love with Kathy’s mother, Minnie. We see how the issues from Europe get transferred to Canada, and come along with the families as they move within the country.

The cast of Leaving Home is a stellar ensemble. Shelley Thompson plays Mary; her warmth and kindness radiate through every moment of her performance. Andrew Musselman’s portrayal of Jacob is heartrending and exasperating. Musselman clearly gives his all in this performance, creating fear and pity mere moments apart. Lou Campbell’s Ben is fierce and troubled, and Campbell gives a nuanced and emotional performance. Sam Vigneault’s Billy is quiet and indecisive, the total opposite of his brother and father. Abby Weisbrot’s Kathy is feisty and sure of herself; an interesting match for Billy. Weisbrot brings a beautiful vulnerability to Kathy that’ll break your heart. Sharpen Kalayil’s Minnie is forward and almost vulgar; her character feels out of place in the Mercer home. Kalayil gives her a charisma which makes it easy to understand how Jacob was in love with her. Sébastien Labelle plays Minnie’s new boy-toy Harold, and he doesn’t say a single word. Labelle is perfection, imparting everything we need to know about Harold just through his facial expressions.

“Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up.” Mary’s earnest plea to her eldest son feels like it echoes in the space. There’s a sense that Mary and Jacob were forced to grow up faster than they had wanted, and with Bill’s fate seemingly decided, they don’t want Ben to follow suit. And as both Ben and Bill will likely soon learn, being grown up tends to be pretty overrated anyways. This story of family and what happens when you break away from that family unit really hits home, even if your stakes aren’t as high as those of the Mercer boys.

Leaving Home runs at The Coal Mine Theatre until June 22. For more information and tickets, visit: Matchstick Theatre

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Cover Photo: Shelley Thompson and Andrew Musselman. Photo by Barry McCluskey.

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