Show: Toronto Fringe Festival 2009 – “36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls”

Written and Directed by: Aurora Stewart de Peña

Choreographed by: Monique Moses

Cast: Nika Mistruzzi, Donna Maloney, Monique Moses, Cara Gee, Julia Lederer, Liz Peterson, Lauren Bride, Laura McCoy, Aurora Stewart de Peña, Sochi Fried, Jolene Devoe, Rebecca Applebaum, and Nicole Stamp

Theatre: Bread & Circus

Thirty-six brief vignettes, interwoven with quirky choreographed dance numbers/set changes, make up 36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls, a play that exemplifies the Toronto Fringe Fest experience. It’s bizarre, it’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it has a small budget (and proudly displays it with cardboard props), and it is one hour of pure entertainment.

The issues dealt with throughout the show are relatable. Family, friends, enemies, jobs, and loves are all touched upon. Each topic is held with grace and a thoroughly feminine eye. Director/Writer/Performer Aurora Stewart de Peña captures the coming-of-age woes of women with humility and respect, at times celebrating women, but not afraid to poke fun at certain absurdities.

The show really celebrates the ensemble as there are no main characters but rather a full-on support system that has each girl working off of one another with great comfort and ease. Each of the performers is given her moment to shine and each brings forth unique recurring characters that develop within the show’s brief running time. A special mention should go out to performer and choreographer Monique Moses, whose delightfully quirky dance numbers in between scenes (to various electronic-elevator muzak renditions of well known pop hits) fit in perfectly and were just as fun as the scenes themselves.

It’s rare to find a production this complete. The actors, the direction, the writing, the costumes, the props, even right down to the character names, everything felt like a truly complete experience. 36 Little Plays created a unique world that referenced Toronto and the women that inhabit it, while at the same time giving it a candy-coloured twist. It functioned as both an honest depiction of the girls we love and hate (and the girls we love to hate) in this city, as well as an artistic expression that’s occasional surreal and boldly warped. In the end, it’s a shining example of what Toronto Fringe has to offer.

Written by :

Gabor Pertic

 

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