Communication breakdown

Worlds collide for better and worse in La Bella Luna

IN THE CLUTCHES OF MENTAL ILLNESS:
Frankel and Ward

By NEIL BOYCE

There’s a good, maybe great, play hidden somewhere in Patrick de Moss’s La Bella Luna.

The MainLine production, also directed by de Moss, is a lengthy musical fantasy that touches on reality, normality, mental illness and the power of imagination.

De Moss begins with a compelling concept by having two distinct worlds influence his main character, two perspectives on the wild behaviour of a troubled person pulled in different directions.

William Ward is explosive as Thomas, a nervous and agoraphobic young man kept functional to a large degree by his friend Benjamin (played by Nathaniel Erik).

De Moss’s often sharp dialogue works best in the simple exchanges between two characters as they struggle to understand each other—an exasperated Ben wonders, “Is crazy the new ‘in’ thing?”

Ben meets new girl Ellen (Holly Gauthier-Frankel) at a restaurant where his friends work, and an awkward date disaster soon follows (“This is an ‘F’ date—I failed!”), as Thomas is called away once again to look after his neurotic pal.

It emerges that we are looking at schizophrenia, but from two sides: the bright, hallucinatory world of Thomas, populated with fairies and moon goddesses who appear when the lights are dimmed; and the grey “normal” world, where Thomas’s actions, seen through the eyes of friends and family, are signs of a growing and imminent breakdown.

Most actors play dual roles, corresponding to how Thomas’s illness casts them in his fantasy: an interesting new girl on the scene becomes an amorous moon, waiters at a restaurant are friendly spirits, and his controlling mother an evil fairy dressed in black.

Dawn Ford is solid in the twin roles of Thomas’ mother Laura, a caring woman suffering under the burden of a schizophrenic son, and the evil Ash, who only wants to destroy the boy. Jonathan Marquis and Talar Kalaidjian are a lovely matched set as snarky resto workers and helpful fairies on the side of poor Thomas.

The play loses focus in the middle of the first act, only partly regaining it by the time the benevolent side of the mother is shown in Act II. It all screams out for the services of another director to handle the action and transitions between worlds more adeptly (de Moss replaced an earlier choice)—and most of all, a talented dramaturge to help trim down the story, give it shape and refine the text.

Chalk this up as an interesting work-in-progress from a talented writer.

Christmas comes early

A few Christmas-themed shows are appearing in the week ahead—just before true Xmas insanity commences.

The boys from Extensive Enterprises resurrect G.I. Joe’s nemeses once again post-Fringe in A Cobra Christmas Carol, at MainLine (3997 St-Laurent), Dec. 18–21. Great costumes, bad dialogue, crude jokes—funny shit. Tickets: (514) 816-5516.

Centaur continues its second year of the seasonal show Urban Tales (its French-language counterpart, Contes Urbains, continues to Dec. 20 at Théâtre la Licorne with some of the same participants). Featuring Harry Standjofski, Danette Mackay, Patrick Costello and the talents of many other fine Montreal writers and actors. Dec 11–13 and 19–20. Tickets: (514) 288-3161.

It’s “ogle all the way” at Café Campus on Dec. 17 in A Slightly More Naked Noël, with L Diablo, Miss Sugarpuss, Bobby Strumpfhose and many other unlikely-named burlesque peelers. (57 Prince Arthur E.), 8 p.m.

LA BELLA LUNA TO DEC. 13 AT
MAINLINE THEATRE (3997 ST-LAURENT)
TICKETS: (514) 481-8406,
WWW.MOONCHILDPRODUCTIONS.CA