Suicide(s) in Vegas (MW Productions) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review

Suicide(s) in Vegas is the story of two women; the successful, larger-than-life, Suze Orman-like author and self-help guru Lydia (Elinza Pretorius) and the ho-hum, average-Jane toll booth collector Jane (Amber Green).

Jane is struggling with the loneliness and isolation of being “invisible” while Lydia’s world is about to fall-apart as she is revealed to be a fraud in a plot line that mirrors the scandal of author James Frey whose memoir was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club then later revealed to be almost completely fabricated.

The two women have regular encounters in an online chat room and decide to meet in Las Vegas to commit suicide by jumping off the phony Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas Resort on the Fourth of July.

Upon entering the Robert Gill Theatre, the spare, black box set hardly evokes the glittering Vegas of the title. Luckily, Pretorius and Green are able to capture the audience’s imagination for the hour-long exploration of the lives of these two characters.

Pretorius bursts on stage and immediately grabs the audience with her opening monologue as Lydia in the midst of giving an emphatic motivational lecture. Green’s Jane then emerges; hopelessly lacking in self-esteem yet also likeable and relatable. The play is a study of these two characters and the contrast between their two seemingly opposite lives.

Playwright Evan Placey’s dialogue is crisp and sprinkled with humour and witticisms. Margaret Whittum’s direction ensures that the pace never drags, the play clips along at a nice rhythm. Pretorius and Green create engaging characters and have a great rapport together on stage. Since the show has already played runs at other festivals it already feels like a well-oiled machine.

Details:

MW Productions

In association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents

Suicide(s) in Vegas

written by Evan Placey

directed by Margaret Whittum

starring Elinza Pretorius & Amber Green

July 6th runs to July 17th

Venue # 9, Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College St., 3rd Floor (St. George St. Entrance)

 

Performances:

Wednesday, July 6, 8:45pm

Saturday, July 9, 9:45pm

Monday, July 11, 1:15pm

Tuesday, July 12, 4:30pm

Thursday, July 14, 1:45pm

Saturday, July 16, 5:15pm

Sunday, July 17, 9:00pm

 

Ticket Price: $10.00

Tickets: www.fringetoronto.com / (416) 966-1062

Advance Ticket Box Office at the Randolph Centre, 736 Bathurst St.

One thought on “Suicide(s) in Vegas (MW Productions) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review”

  1. Saw this today after winning tickets from Fringe for Free. Loved the two actresses, who managed to captivate the audiences with dialogue alone. The story is very dark, and the comedy is subtle, so it may not be appropriate for those looking for a light-hearted slapstick show. Great for those that enjoy good acting, fascinating characters, and a well written story.

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