THEATRE REVIEW: WIDE AWAKE HEARTS
12 Nov'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency
Rating: 4 out of 5

TORONTO - In works like A QUIET PLACE and ALIAS GODOT, playwright Brendan Gall has already demonstrated that when it comes to writing sparkling, witty dialogue, he has a true gift. And in his latest work -- an often delightful and thought-provoking romantic comedy with dramatic overtones titled WIDE AWAKE HEARTS -- he proves he's still fascinated with what he can do with that gift.

WIDE AWAKE HEARTS opened Wednesday in the Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space, under the increasingly assured direction of Gina Wilkinson, who manages not only to incorporate numerous cinematic elements into her staging -- courtesy of Lorenzo Savoini's deceptively simple set designs and Bonnie Beecher's lighting -- but to make them highly theatrical in the process as well.

WAH is the story of four characters. Character A, played by Gordon Rand, is a hot-shot independent film writer and maker who is, it appears, firmly established in career territory well beyond its best-before date. He is married to Character B, played by Lesley Faulkner, an aspiring actress whose principal work comes from starring in the movies her husband writes and grinds out.

Character C, played by Raoul Bhaneja, is an actor and bad-boy friend of A's youth, brought back into this circle to play both himself and the love interest, opposite B, in the new movie A is making. Meanwhile Character D, played by Maev Beaty, is the movie editor A has hired for the new project, apparently blissfully unaware that C has been involved in a longtime relationship with her.

But all is not as complicated, on one level, as it might seem; nor on a completely different level as simple as it seems, either. For A, troubled as he is by inner insecurities and external brashness, harbours a strong suspicion that there is a lingering attraction between his wife and his old friend, and he seems determined to test his theory by writing steamy love scenes for them, even while he's having difficulty determining where reality ends and his movie takes over. And, frankly, the other characters -- and, by the play's end, his audience -- share that confusion.

Cleverly constructed, the play moves like a rocket under Wilkinson's unobtrusive hand, with scenes flowing gracefully into each other, moving the story along with an impressive fluidity that looks so simple one wonders why everyone can't create plays like this. From a performance perspective, Rand and Bhaneja are well proven commodities, and not surprisingly, they conspire to add both depth and polish to Gall's quicksilver dialogue, challenging the less experienced Faulkner to meet their standards -- all to impressive effect.

Meanwhile, Beaty -- an actress who seems to grow more comfortable in both her characters' skins and her own with every performance -- comes close to stealing the show, despite the prodigious skills of her co-stars, as she taps into heretofore untapped wells of sensuality and sophistication to maximum effect. This is a performance that has 'leading lady' writ large on its every turn.

Ultimately, it's an impressive cast, turning in impressive performances in a play that would be impressive if the playwright had only trusted his gift enough to content himself with telling the story, instead of showing off his skill. In his hands, A, B, C And D seem to have enough bon mots for an entire alphabet. Gall has written what amounts to another good play here, and in the process, he's proven he is now the only thing standing between himself and greatness. And if he ever learns to get out of his own way ...