At the risk of sounding obsequious, anyone who has not yet seen a Norm Foster play is doing themselves a disservice.
Generally acknowledged as the most produced Canadian playwright in the world, he’s also our nation’s funniest.
Yet his popularity is about more than just providing a few laughs; his true brilliance lies in his unmatched ability to infuse his writing with the full range of human emotions, resulting in a uniquely cathartic theatrical experience.
Mending Fences, the latest of his 50-or-so scripts to be produced at Theatre Orangeville, is one more fine example of that talent.
The play opens with dating neighbours Harry (portrayed by playwright Norm Foster) and Gin (Heather Hodgson) discussing the pending arrival of Harry’s son, Drew (Derek Ritschel).
The father and son have not seen each other for 20 years, and Harry is obviously apprehensive about the reunion, which turns out to be awkward from the start.
“It would be nice if you had a little more to say to me,” Drew tells his father after their first in-person conversation in two decades is comprised almost entirely of small-talk about luggage and the 32-hour trip to Saskatchewan.
The underwhelming greeting is a harbinger of sorts for many strained conversations to come, often with Gin playing referee.
The men, as it turns out, are more alike than either of them care to admit, notably their stubbornness and a difficulty in relaying their true feelings and emotions.
Theirs is a unique, fractured relationship that both men hope to resurrect, though they may say otherwise. Past wounds may still be too fresh to heal; only time will only tell – but that’s not on their side either.
The trio of players has worked together on this production in the past, so it’s no surprise they have great chemistry together.
Hodgson does a fine job as Gin, as well as two other characters in flashback scenes, and she seems to be a perfect compliment to Foster and Ritschel. Her great range is on full display during one scene in which she plays Harry’s mother and in another as Gin in which she comically lashes out at Harry and Drew’s inability to get along.
Foster is outstanding as Harry. His delivery, body language and facial expressions perfectly relay the cruel irony of “the sins of the father” (knowing from experience your parents’ transgressions had a profound affect on you, yet somehow being helpless to stop the cycle from impacting your own children).
Yet as good as Foster is, Ritschel shines the brightest here. From the innocence and vulnerability of a small boy to the frustration and resentment of a man who’s grown up without a father, Ritschel nails every emotion with a subtlety few actors possess.
The stage design, costumes and lighting are all fine complements to the production, and the cast seems to have received excellent guidance from director David Nairn.
The only obvious weakness in the production is the confusion surrounding several flashback scenes. Given that the scenes involve the same three actors, and two different settings (one in Drew’s childhood and the other in Harry’s), more should be done to differentiate shifts in time – both from present-day scenes and from one another. Several audience members could be overheard during flashback scenes asking what was going on.
The scenes are vital parts of the play – especially to help explain Harry and Drew’s strained relationship as well as their familial struggles with alcohol abuse and infidelity – but one is left wondering if there could have been a better way to execute them.
Nonetheless, Mending Fences is a wonderfully written and brilliantly performed production.
It plays five shows a week until April 17. For tickets call 519-942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 or visit theatreorangeville.ca.
