Constellations

Shatterbox Theatre Company launches premiere show

The Regent Theatre played host this weekend to the production of Constellations, written by British playwright Nick Payne. The two-character play had its world premiere in London, England in 2012, but was also brought over to premiere in America at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2014 starring Ruth Wilson as Marianne and Jake Gyllenhaal as Roland. The play received numerous accolades and Tony award nominations, which led to a Canadian co-production in 2016 between Centaur Theatre and the The Canadian Stage Company.

It is a very challenging piece of theatre for both the audience and the actors involved. It’s jarring from the start. The concept of the play revolves around a multi-dimensional realm that explores the myriad of possibilities that can result in one chance encounter. In the 90- minute play, the actors perform in over 36 scenes, many of them lasting only a minute or two. Scenes are repeated, sometimes two or three times, with subtle nuances in the text and delivery occurring every time they repeat a scene. At times there are pieces of information included that are nonsensical, leaving the audience feeling disoriented and confused for the first quarter of the play. But that is exactly the feeling the playwright is looking for, because gradually the plot is revealed and the pieces that once were confusing, come together for a dramatic rise that is both palpable and satisfying at the end.

The play follows Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper and their interactions over the course of what seems like a few years. But it could also be over a few months, or weeks. A lot is left up to interpretation and the tension of timelessness is felt throughout the production. The scenes explore the range of possibilities that could happen within their initial encounter. In one scene they seem to hit it off, but the following scene contains the exact same text and has slight changes to the actor’s delivery that make it seem that they are not interested. It is described by the playwright as a relationship that lives in another dimension, where theories about a quantum multi-universe are explored.

Tony Forbes, Sam Branderhorst and Georgia Papanicolau are all smiles after the premiere of Constallations.

It is a very challenging piece for everyone involved, and one that is quite brave for the first production of a brand new local theatre company. It is unconventional, non-traditional and asks a lot from its audience, meaning that you must pay close attention, or you will miss something. There are over 100 lighting cues, and original music was created for the production by the County’s own Tony Forbes who did an excellent job in creating a confusing, but equally beautiful soundscape for the production.

His ethereal guitar riffs would indicate a change in dimension and the lighting cues would follow. The stage was mostly bare, except for two chairs, which were used sparingly. Most of the time it was the two actors on their own, diving into a script that must have been difficult to memorize. The entire play is left up to interpretation, and it is one that could leave audiences wondering what the heck just happened.

But the newly formed Shatterbox Theatre Company handled the production and execution of Constellations like seasoned veterans. All aspects of the play were topnotch including the lighting, which was designed by one of the co-founders of Shatterbox, Sam Branderhorst. The director of Constellations, Georgia Papanicolau, is the other co-founder of Shatterbox. She is an award-winning director and actor who has been involved in the County’s theatre scene for many years. Her job of bringing it all together and making the play understandable throughout the chaos is the production’s biggest achievement. The play rises and falls like any play should, and leaves the audience asking questions and making their own theories about what really happened between the characters. The energy brought forth by the entire production, both front and back of house, is what makes this play work. It is a daring and courageous start to the new theatre company, which got its start by two women sitting in a coffee shop and daydreaming about having their own theatre company. They are a testament to the old adage that anything is possible if you put the work in. In an emotional speech at the end of the final performance, Papanicolau spoke a bit about the first production.

“We want to thank the community and our sponsors first and foremost. Everyone involved took a big chance on us, and we were determined not to let them down. It costs a lot to rent this beautiful theatre, but it didn’t scare us off. We are so proud of this production and everyone that held us up to reach to this height. There is a lot more to come from us! This is just the start,” says Papanicolau.

Shatterbox should give themselves a pat on the back for taking on such a challenging production in their first go-around. It shows that they have heart and are passionate about bringing new and exciting forms of theatre to this region. In a place where traditional plays and musicals have always been the standard, let’s hope that Shatterbox continues to push the envelope and bring theatregoers out of their comfort zone.