I think I’m in love…

The Gladstone

Isn’t it beautiful??? It was such a rush walking into that gorgeous, newly renovated theatre on Thursday for opening night at The Gladstone. Outside there was a crowd of elegantly dressed people holding their complimentary drinks and appetizers, socializing, and buzzing with excitement over Ottawa theatre’s hot new item. This former home of the Great Canadian Theatre Company has been completely refurbished with a larger box office, a spacious black-and-white lobby with tiled floors and crystal chandeliers, and a red curtain surrounding the proscenium stage. Instead of tickets, the box office staff handed out stylish programs with each guest’s name on the back. All these small details made the guests feel very welcome, like they were not only seeing a show, but being treated to a complete evening of entertainment. Everyone was in a wonderful mood, congratulating owner Steve Martin and manager John Collins on their fabulous work on the building.

You may be wondering: sure there was plenty of hype over the new digs. But how was the opening show?

In my opinion, absolutely fantastic. And I’m not just saying that because I had a couple glasses of wine before, during, and after the show. Though I am generally more appreciative of comedy under those circumstances. Maybe that’s why the staff was offering all those complimentary drinks. Ah, I see: very, very clever…

Either way, this production had everything: a hilarious script (“How the Other Half Loves” by Alan Ayckbourn), an intuitive director (the award-winning John P. Kelly), engaging staging and design (more about that in a bit…), and a cast of top-notch LOCAL actors (Pierre Brault, Kris Joseph, Michelle Leblanc, Teri Rata Loretto, Andy Massingham, and Alix Sideris). Just reciting those names makes my heart leap a little.

Perhaps those of us looking for an intellectual theatre experience might be turned off by the subject matter of this play, which depicts 3 couples of various social standing confronted by deception, confusion, and misunderstanding surrounding an adulterous relationship. Haven’t we all seen this before? Perhaps – but I’ve discovered that, despite his choice topic of common British farce, Ayckbourn is an incredibly clever playwright, and I’m going to tell you why.

The remarkable thing about Ayckbourn is not the subject matter he chooses for his work, but how he chooses to approach it in his work. Hasn’t it been said that “there are no dull subjects, only dull writers”? Theatre enthusiasts soon learn that content is only just the beginning when it comes to creating theatre. Some of the most interesting theatre creators today are focusing not on content, but on creative form and style. You will enjoy “How the Other Half Loves” for its witty dialogue, fast-paced action, and kooky characters, but you will remember it for its unique staging.

At any given time, two scenes are occurring simultaneously, and without any sort of split screen set. Characters from one scene move across the entire set that represents their home. Meanwhile, characters from another scene are using the same set to represent their own home. They interact only with the characters in their own scene, and pay no mind to the characters in the other scene. Often one actor would pass another actor (from a different scene) without even noticing, nearly missing each other. This takes an insane amount of sharp choreography to make the “close-calls” seems natural and to prevent any accidental collisions. This staging became even more challenging when the third couple comes for dinner at both homes, and has to interact with the other two couples at the same time.

The artistic team manages all these challenges with grace and skill. Kelly, who is familiar with the show having directed it twice in the past, guides his actors in exactly the right direction. On the opening night, they were confident, charismatic, and clearly having a hilariously good time. It was a joy to watch. And unlike most shows with a larger cast, there was no one actor that stood out as being superior to the rest: they were all undeniably professional, and they all brought something special to the scene.

One more thing: I found Ayckbourn’s trick especially appealing because I realized that it could never be successful in film. It is a technique that is unique to the stage and would not work anywhere other than the stage. That is something very special. It shows that this perceptive playwright knows his theatre very, very well. It shows that theatre is capable of producing something that no other art form can possibly produce to the same degree and effect. It shows that attending a play can provide a truly exceptional intimate experience. And I would like to personally thank The Gladstone for sharing that experience with me.

But enough gushing — just go see the darn play!

“How the Other Half Loves” runs until October 4th at 910 Gladstone Avenue (at Preston). For more information about The Gladstone, please visit their swanky website at www.thegladstone.ca.