Content Warning: You, Always contains discussions of cancer, eating disorders, and Medical Assistance in Dying, amongst other adult topics.

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“You always…

What?”

Erin Shields’ You, Always opens with a fight – one so familiar sounding it was like I could see myself and my younger sister standing in their places on stage. This stunningly emotional two-hander, directed by the incomparable Andrea Donaldson, takes audiences through the lifetimes of two women who have seen every version of each other, and how their bond is stretched and tested over decades. You, Always is a heartbreaking ode to sisterhood, full of memory, make-believe and mermaids.

Liz and Delia have been through everything together: from their parents’ divorce to first loves, getting high in the backyard to attending school basketball games. Though they’ve spent plenty of time apart over the years, they’ve also always come back to one another and had each other’s backs. When Liz is diagnosed with Stage 3 Colo-rectal cancer, Delia immediately jumps in to help – she takes the kids to their games, helps out around the house, and especially takes care of her sister. We see through shared memories of their lives how the two have always looked out for one another, even weaving it into their make believe games of princesses and wolves (but no mermaids, despite Delia’s insistence). As Liz’s health declines, Delia is faced with the worst possible scenario, and she has to find the strength within herself, with the help of her sister, to be there once again for her big sis.

I knew You, Always was going to hit close to home. Like Liz, I am the big sister to a sister, and there were several recognizable eldest daughter traits which I had in common with Liz: the need to get good grades, the feeling of having to set a good example, even getting the front spot in the bath at bath time. My sister and I had bunk beds for years, although I was on the bottom bunk, much to my sister’s delight. And I, too, was the choreographer and instigator of many a mini-play or dance routine, often forcing cousins into the mix when visiting them in Michigan. However, the chords which rang true for me unfortunately didn’t stop with the adorable accuracy of the sisters; three weeks ago we lost my fiancé’s grandmother and she also chose to use MAiD, as her cancer had likewise become unbearable. The ending of this play hit far harder than I thought it was going to, and from the sniffles heard around the room, I think many audience members were having similar reactions. While part of theatre’s beauty is how it holds a mirror up to ourselves, seeing this part of our recent lives portrayed on stage was immensely difficult.

In the promotional videos for You, Always, Maev Beaty (Liz) and Liisa Repo-Martell (Delia) talk about how they first played sisters 10 years ago. I saw that production of King Lear at the Stratford Festival and I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that it changed my life. Their playing sisters again has had me looking forward to this production since Canadian Stage announced their season. As before, the bond between Beaty and Repo-Martell is undeniable, and you can feel the care and passion they’ve both put into their respective roles. Both give heartrending performances which will stay with me for a very long time; though I certainly hope it’s not another 10 years before they get to play sisters again.

The design elements in this production were simple, yet surprising, with Ting – Huan 挺歡 Christine Urquhart’s set creating the foundation and Andre du Toit’s lighting design providing the audience with cues for the changes in time throughout the story. There are two unique sequences within the play which I really enjoyed, one where Stephanie Graham’s choreography gets to shine as they perform a routine to Mickey & Sylvia’s “Love is Strange.” However, my favourite was when we get to see their make-believe game come to life, festooned in Shawn Kerwin’s beautiful costumes; it’s a whimsical departure from the sadness which pervades the end of the play.

I wish I could have seen You, Always with my little sister, however she unfortunately lives four hours away from me now. I know we would have laughed at the little games of keep away and the fights over the remote. Like Liz, I know that I can count on my little sister when I need her: when the world gets to be too much, or my computer is doing something I don’t quite understand, or just to be someone to vent to. My hope is that our future doesn’t quite go the same way as it does for Liz and Delia, but I do know that if it does, she’ll also be by my side.

“You, Always.”

You, Always runs at the Berkeley Street Theatre until February 22. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.canadianstage.com/shows-events/season/you-always

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Cover Photo: L-R: Maev Beaty & Liisa Repo-Martell. Photos by Dahlia Katz. Costume Design by Shawn Kerwin. Set Design by Ting-Huan Christine Urquhart. Lighting Design by André du Toit.

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