Could you tell if someone was lying? By the way they walk, talk, or maybe by where they come from?
This powerful new play, written and directed by Isaac Mule, launches us into a raw and visceral exploration of our biases and the human need for safety and belonging.
Last year, in conversation with an acquaintance--a recent (heterosexual) newcomer to the province--I mentioned that I support our Rainbow Refugee Association. Her response, delivered with a convincing confidence, was, “you know some of them aren’t even gay, right...they lie!”
My jaw dropped. I felt naïve to have never considered this possibility. I was initially angry at the thought. I sat with this discomfort and I'm still sorting out what I think. Was her comment possible? How do they police this? Surely this can’t be true! I’m sad to admit it but that little seed of doubt sprang up inside me each time I saw another email or fundraiser from the association. What if she were right?
What if?
This play picked me up out of my internal dialogue and offered even more nuanced perspective than my own attempts to sort out meaning.
How do you prove one’s sexuality? What is the right way to escape horror, hunger, war, or terror? How does one do the right thing? So what?
Someone is Lying is presented in an intimate workshop style called in the round. This type of production was unfamiliar to my partner and distracted her a little from the overall experience. For me, I found it more engaging to be closer to the action, the discomfort, and situated in the middle of the narrative.
There were times in the performance that I felt so close to the storyline, I wanted to interrupt the dialogue to defend a character. I was also among the audience segment who were required to stand at a point in the production. This moment brought the climax of the story front and centre, mirroring the discomfort and displacement discussed in the play.
Another undeniable benefit of the in the round format was that it shone a spotlight on the talent of the two, and only, lead actors, Diego Guerrero and Jonah Campbell. I could not imagine two individuals who could better relay the tension and emotion in this play. Campbell’s talent especially shone when performing multiple different characters, convincing us that he was a loving supportive partner and a racist asshole in equal measure.
This is a must-see production that resonates with current events. While gay asylum seekers are at the center of the narrative, other relevant and current themes are explored including climate change, the increasing boldness of racism, and cultural migration. The play doesn’t give us an easy answer but asks many important questions: How do you prove one’s sexuality? What is the right way to escape horror, hunger, war, or terror? How does one do the right thing? So what?
I’ll be thinking about these questions and other things brought up in this performance for a long time to come.
See it Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm at Breaking Circus, 2164 Amalamek Way, one street below Brunswick United Church. Get tickets here.
Writer + Director: Isaac Mule
Dramaturgy: Annie Valentina
Sound: Riley Reid
Cast: Diego Guerrero and Jonah Campbell
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