Sometimes a Fringe Festival offers one particular production that could be launched, perfectly intact, into the season of one of the regional theatres for audiences to happily clamor to see, and Sunnyside Café is one such show.
This one-woman play is beautifully written by Pam Calabrese MacLean and tells the story of a woman named Eva who spends her life waiting. She waits on people at the Sunnyside Café, she waits for change to happen upon her life and she waits for the return of Peg. Her monologue is poetic, and in Eva MacLean has created a unique character whose voice and personality is strong, specific, touching, humorous, and reflective of how difficult in can be for us to step out of the comfortable routine of our lives.
The play is performed to perfection by Sherry Smith, who infuses Eva with so much heart and so much restrained emotion that she captives the room instantaneously. You feel as though you may have seen this woman before, she may have filled your coffee cup at an Irving Mainway, and it becomes a pleasure to get drawn into her world.
Sunnyside Café is expertly directed by Lee J. Campbell who fills the piece with brilliant, clear, strong choices. I am hesitant to go into too much detail because there is so much in this play that gains its power and poignancy as it is revealed throughout the show. The ending is absolutely chilling, but that is all I will say.
This one-woman play is beautifully written by Pam Calabrese MacLean and tells the story of a woman named Eva who spends her life waiting. She waits on people at the Sunnyside Café, she waits for change to happen upon her life and she waits for the return of Peg. Her monologue is poetic, and in Eva MacLean has created a unique character whose voice and personality is strong, specific, touching, humorous, and reflective of how difficult in can be for us to step out of the comfortable routine of our lives.
The play is performed to perfection by Sherry Smith, who infuses Eva with so much heart and so much restrained emotion that she captives the room instantaneously. You feel as though you may have seen this woman before, she may have filled your coffee cup at an Irving Mainway, and it becomes a pleasure to get drawn into her world.
Sunnyside Café is expertly directed by Lee J. Campbell who fills the piece with brilliant, clear, strong choices. I am hesitant to go into too much detail because there is so much in this play that gains its power and poignancy as it is revealed throughout the show. The ending is absolutely chilling, but that is all I will say.
This production is a perfect little package and a brilliant example of the talent that exists here in Nova Scotia. Sunnyside Café is presented by Forerunner Playwrights Co-op, which was formed by Nate Crawford and Natasha MacLellan in order to increase presentation opportunities for new work in the Atlantic Provinces. This is one of the most exciting ventures that I have heard about in Halifax, and if these are the sorts of plays that this theatre will be producing, I predict that these Halifax-based playwrights will soon be gaining notoriety across the country. I strongly encourage you all to head down to Neptune’s Studio Theatre and to take in this wonderful play. Hurry and see the show now before it gets picked up by a regional theatre who charges $35.00 admission. As Eva wisely says in the play, “wait long enough, and everything goes away.” Don’t wait. See Sunnyside Café while you still can!
Venue: Neptune’s Studio Theatre $10.00
Times: Fri Sept 11 at 10:10pm, Sat Sept 12 at 9:40pm, Sun Sept 13 at 1:30pm
