By Kurt Krumme
Sex, death, adultery and torture. These fine indoor sports mingle with lesbianism, deception and a dysfunctional past to come together in an eclectic little attic that holds a lot more than a few dusty boxes. The result is the darkly comic play The Attic, the Pearls and 3 Fine Girls.
It is an emotional smorgasbord with three siblings, Jo-Jo, Jayne and Jelly Fine consumed with hatred one moment, tender and sentimental the next. This roller-coaster of feeligns provides an intense and realistic journey into the lives of the Fine sisters, but it can be a little dizzying at times. These instant transformations gave me the notion that The Attic, the Pearls and 3 Fine Schizophrenics might have been an appropriate title.
Subtle and intelligent, this play both created and performed by Ann-Marie MacDonald, Leah Cherniak and Martha Ross envelops the audience and pulls them into the intricate relationship of the three sisters. The girls are brought together by the death of their father, the throwing of a farewell party and the hunt for a family heirloom. A good part of the action happens in the family attic, a shadowy, cozy place, at first offering the girls seclusion and security but later, as they begin to face the truth about their past and their present, memory after painful memory.
This is the best small theatre production I have seen in a long time. The set design is a miracle, and the music blends in perfectly. Sadly, the Theatre Centre is facing closure, and this may be the last production to show there, so hurry before it’s gone.
The Attic, the Pearls and 3 Fine Girls runs from February 28 to March 19 at the Theatre Centre West, 1032 Queen Street E. This play is perfect for dates and with tickets only $10 to $15, or pay what you can on Tuesday and Sunday, it should not be missed.
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