By Joe Szekeres
The angst of home renovations is something that I have never had to face, but I know family members, friends and work colleagues who have had their homes torn up or under construction for several weeks and months. From what these people have told me, pressure build, and tempers can flare because everyone is on edge. Bottom line – everyone wants a solid job done, but sometimes the getting there is the most difficult part, and you wonder if you will ever make it to the end.
I had the opportunity to see Sunderland resident Graeme Powell’s play ‘Renovations’ premiere in Uxbridge several years ago. ‘Renovations’ tells the story of young couple Brent and Jenny (Jay Da Costa and Sam Smilovic) who are in the throes of having their home renovated before they move in. Jenny’s well-intentioned father, Ernie (David Geene) is around to lend a hand as much as he can. While Brent and Jenny try to remain calm during the upheaval, they meet their neighbours who become another burden which adds to the increasing and mounting tension. There is the neighbourhood white trash trampy Judy (Lee Laycoe) and her drug head boy toy/lover Gil, (Mike Doucette) who rented the house before Brent and Jenny. Gil helps in renovating the house.
We also meet a young teenage couple Amber and Brandon (Onella de Zilva and Antony Augusto) who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other and sneak into the house periodically to find some alone time. We also meet a lovely eccentric senior, Harriet (Alexandra Hines) who has some information to share about the people who originally built the house. We also met Harriet’s son, Daniel (Howard Linscott).
Lee Laycoe and Mike Doucette. Photo by Jonathan van Bilsen
What is unique about this production is the fact the set is not clean and tidy at the top of the show. It’s chaotic and messy as there are about four different projects on the go all at once in this living room, plus upstairs/offstage noises in other parts of the house. I remember the gigantic set on the Uxbridge stage several years ago quite well as every inch of the space was fully used. At that time, Bryan Mailey designed the impressive set. First time director of this production, Amy Caughlin, asked him to design once again obviously with different specifications as the Port Perry Town Hall Theatre is different from Uxbridge.
Kudos, Mr. Mailey. Your work is top notch as there are three or four different projects on the go in this setting. From the initial look, we don’t know how long these renovations have taken place. Brent and Jenny have been promised they should be in their renovated residence by Christmas. Hah, hah, as there are no timelines or deadlines in these renovations.
In her Director’s note, Ms. Caughlin says the place ‘stole her heart’ because the characters in this play ‘painfully’ familiar to her. For Caughlin, these characters are learning to navigate a consistently changing environment surrounded by the chaos in Brent and Jenny’s home. Ms. Caughlin felt it was appropriate to bring Mr. Powell’s play home to the Town Hall, as he has done a lot of work with the Borelians.
Personally, I believe it’s important to see new plays performed on the amateur/community stages. Why? There are talented people in the region who deserve to have their work showcased for the community. Community theatre is for the community and it’s important to support its own.
For her directorial debut, Ms. Caughlin believes she has chosen a show close to her heart. She cares about this production and its inspirational message that all of us in our lives will constantly undergo renovations.
Is this cast up for the challenge? For the most part, yes, they are. There are times when the pacing dragged a bit at this first matinee in both acts. It did take just a tad too long to get my interest in the plot going, but it gradually did. The account for this lag might be the fact the cast could have been tired. This was the first of a two-show performance combined with the reality cast and crew have been at the theatre every night this week in preparation for opening.
Jay Da Costa and Sam Smilovic are believable as the ‘slice of life’, young, Canadian couple who are just starting their lives. It’s sweet to watch the kissy face, googly eyed young lovers who really want a baby and will drop whatever they’re doing in order to grow try right at that particular moment. Both Da Costa and Smilovic do fine the peaks and valleys as the tension builds with the fact the renovations are not going as quickly as they would like. It was refreshing to be able to hear Mr. Da Costa clearly in his dialogue. Ms. Smilovic will have to be mindful of her enunciation and projection as there were a few moments in both acts where she delivers lines upstage and I couldn’t hear her from my seat.
Lee Laycoe’s ‘hot to trot’ Judy was amusing to watch for some of her outrageous, mismatched costumes that she thought would have made her look gorgeous. Again, for the most part, there are moments of brashness, but I would have liked to have seen Ms. Laycoe carry them through more. Perhaps snapping some gum might also add to her character development. Her scene with Gil in Act Two was nicely delivered. David Geene offers worldly and fatherly advice to his daughter and son in law. Ernie is a likeable guy and Mr. Geene nicely plays him that way.
As young teenage couple Amber and Brandon, Onella de Zilva and Antony Augusto are having a great deal of fun in the hope they do not get caught. Ms. De Zilva uses her doe eyes to her advantage in getting August to do whatever she wants done. Mr. Augusto appeared just a tad too stiff in his delivery of some lines. He has the look, he has the demeanour. He needs to think through further what is the message he wishes to convey.
As senior Harriet and her son, Daniel, Alexandra Hines and Howard Linscott help Brent and Jenny through some tough times in understanding the historical significance of the hose. Ms. Hines has solidly captured a dotty senior who truly likes the young couple as they start their lives together. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a playful mother and son attitude between Ms. Hines and Mr. Linscott. Mr. Linscott showed that playful side in Act two when he and his mother leaves. It is the way in which he says, “Coming, Mother” which nailed the fact Daniel cares for his elderly mother while teasing her. I wished I could have seen more of that playful teasing.
Mike Doucette came dangerously close to stealing the show as Gil, the drug head renovator and boy toy of Judy. Mr. Doucette just captured beautifully that air of “This is who I am, and I ain’t changin’ who I am for nobody.” In each of this scenes, Mr. Doucette naturally listens to each actor and responds in a believable manner. The hiding of Gil’s pot in the second act and its discovery is quite funny.
‘Renovations’ continues to October 19 at Town Hall 1873 Centre for the Performing Arts, 302 Queen Street, Port Perry. Visit the website for further information.