The Two of Us (Red Drapes Productions) 2018 Toronto Fringe Review

Photo of Beatriz Yuste and in The Two of Us
The Two of Us, produced by Red Drapes Productions, was originally written by Croatian playwright Tena Stivicic and translated by members of the company. This Toronto Fringe production marks the North American premiere of the acclaimed play. The script is full of witty, sardonic one-liners and unique cultural allusions that speak to the strength of the script’s translation.

The story primarily revolves around the relationship between Anja and Lena, tracing their dynamic from a chance meeting at a nightclub, and following them over time as they become inseparable. Anja and Lena are both drifting through post-war life when they meet and find solace with each other while engaging in persistent substance use and navigating problematic love lives. As the two get closer, they realize that they are connected far more closely than they originally anticipated. In director Svjetlana Jaklenec’s words, the play is “…an ode to the resilience of those who go on” after unspeakable tragedy; namely the Yugoslav Wars.

Lena and Anja (Shannon Currie and Beatriz Yuste, respectively) are at the heart of the action, flanked by Lena’s overbearing mother Sonja (Deborah Grover) and acclaimed author Emil (John Blackwood). Many of the scenes involving Lena and Anja are shared in their homes, where the characters are presumably at their most vulnerable. Jaklenec’s staging centres Anja and Lena, and places Sonja and Emil as more nebulous figures.

The main set consists of two adjoining cluttered living rooms, which serves as a backdrop for scenes that take place in different settings. Lena’s apartment has unrepaired holes in the wall, presumably from gunfire. The disarray of their private lives, and the aftershocks of The Yugoslav Wars, loom over their lives at all times; Christine Urquhart’s set design effectively communicates this.

There are many aspects of this show that I liked “in spirit” but I felt disappointed by the production’s overall execution. The performance I saw was a preview, so possible this may change as the run progresses, but I just didn’t see it the night I was there. I appreciate the script’s centering on a friendship between women, and the staging and sets work to bolster its importance, but I felt the performance of this relationship simply went through the motions of hitting milestones and attaining intimacy.

I didn’t feel sincere chemistry between Yuste and Currie (Anja and Lena) and found it difficult to get to know the two characters as individuals or to feel invested in their relationship. Throughout the performance I kept wondering why they were getting so close. The relationship hits many emotional highs and lows, but these moments seem to come out of nowhere. It’s hard to tell if this is to do with the script, the actors’ performances, the direction, or some combination of the three.

Additionally, in demonstrating the passage of time and moments of significance, this play has a lot of short scenes followed by sudden scene changes. I found these persistent changes jarring and disruptive. While I acknowledge this may have far more to do with the script, I wonder if some of the production’s “flow” may have been maintained with smoother, more deliberate transitions aided by a more cohesive lighting design.

The above critiques I have for the show does not discount the elements that I quite liked: the script and translation work, the set, the sound design (by Emily Barraclough), and supporting performances from Glover and Blackwood.

Details

  • The Two of Us plays at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace. (16 Ryerson Ave.)
  • Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Content Warnings: Sexual content; Unsuitable for minors.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible. Accessible seating is in the very front row.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.

Performances

  • Friday July 6th, 1:45 pm
  • Saturday July 7th, 9:15 pm
  • Monday July 9th, 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday July 11th, 3:30 pm
  • Thursday July 12th, 8:45 pm
  • Friday July 13th, 11:00 pm
  • Saturday July 14th, 7:00 pm

Photo of Beatriz Yuste provided by the company

*Editors Note: Originaly this article neglected to mention this was a preview perfomance. This has been corrected.

4 thoughts on “The Two of Us (Red Drapes Productions) 2018 Toronto Fringe Review”

  1. How UNPROFESSIONAL of you to be reviewing a PREVIEW SHOW! And especially to critique the acting during this fine tuning process.

  2. Hi Svjetlana,

    Thank you for your comment.

    I understand it is frustrating to have a preview performance reviewed. Unfortunately, since Mooney on Theatre reviews every show in the festival, most before the first weekend, it means that we need to review preview shows. This policy was something we discussed with the Fringe media team ahead of the Festival.

    This is the first year Fringe has incorporated preview performances into the festival; we are all still working out the bugs. Next year we will be implementing a policy where we offer companies running previews the option of either being reviewed on a preview or forgoing a review.

    However, your comment did bring attention to the fact that it was not pointed out in this review that this was a preview performance, so we have corrected that in the review.

    Cheers,
    megan

    _______
    Megan Mooney
    Publisher
    Mooney on Theatre

  3.  This review is astonishingly amateurish… look at this bit:

    “I appreciate the script’s centering on a friendship between , and the staging and sets work to bolster its importance but I felt the performance of this relationship simply went through the motions of hitting milestones and attaining intimacy.”

    I think I understand the meaning of this run-on sentence “in spirit,” but I also think an editor would really bring it up a notch.

    Also, you’re a theatre reviewer – why is it “hard to tell” if the actors’ chemistry problems are due to the script, the actors’ performances, the direction, or some combination of the three? If you review theatre, you should know. Shouldn’t you?

    Lastly, there’s no need to put quotation marks around words and phrases like “in spirit” and “flow.”

  4. Hi CbW,

    Thank you for taking the time to comment. For one thing, it pointed out a typo/missing word that our middle-of-the-night editing missed. “… script’s centering on a friendship between , and the staging… ” should read ” … script’s centering on a friendship between women, and the staging…” I will make that change as soon as I have finished addressing your comments.

    I wanted to take a moment to point out that Mooney on Theatre does not ask our writers to be theatre experts. We are looking for experiential reviews. We want to know what it felt like to see the production, to be there. That’s why I instruct my writers to be clear that they are only speaking of their own experience and opinions, and not use absolutes. So, for instances, avoid saying things like “this production just doesn’t work” and instead say things like “this production doesn’t work for me because…”.

    Many publications which provide critiques based more on theatre theory and academics already exist. My goal in starting Mooney on Theatre was to provide an alternative to people who are not steeped in the theatre world. To help people realize that theatre is as viable an option of going to a movie when trying to figure out what to do when heading out for the evening with a friend. Never is this more the case than with the Fringe Festival. For some more details on our philosophy, I would point you in the direction of our Our Story section.

    With that said, in answer to your specific question, speaking as someone who *is* steeped in the theatre world and has an extensive theatre background, identifying the nuances of why there feels like a disconnect between characters is not something easily done, because it can come from so many sources. It’s not something one can pin-down from a single viewing.

    I hope this helps clear things up, and again, thank you for pointing out the typo/missing word.

    Cheers,
    megan

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