Graceland

Shoestring Players—Planetarium

I was delighted to be able to attend the opening performance of Graceland and would like to share my experience with Jenny readers, as it was entirely different from that of the first reviewer.

From the moment Laura Harrison (Rootie) and Merri-Lou Patterson (Bev) hit the stage, fireworks sparked. These two experienced actors took control of the audience and kept us (most of us) in thrall for the next 50 minutes. Ellen Byron’s script cleverly manipulated our affiliations with Bev and Rootie, first guiding us to relate slightly more to Bev’s position, despite her crass behaviour, and then shocking us with the poignant story of Rootie.

These two actors are amazing. Every one of their moves, grandiose or miniscule, was clear, intentional, and revealing. Not only are they to be commended for their performances but also the director, Maureen Taggert, for making the most of these two impressive thespians.

In the spirit of the statement that “There are no small parts…,” I would also like to acknowledge the brief but nonetheless effectively realistic performance by Connor Hopper as the radio announcer.

In response to the first reviewer, yes, there is an ending, with a clear revelation of who won the contest. I won’t reveal it here because I don’t wish to be a spoiler. Graceland is a tight, cohesive, superbly directed and acted production. I highly recommend it.

Sharon Hamilton