Cracking up

By Amy Barratt

 The Crackwalker, by Judith Thompson, is about a group of friends whom the press material kindly describes as "socially challenged." Criminally stupid is more like it. It's set very specifically in Kingston, Ontario, yet it could be any of a thousand places on this continent where generations of people grow up poor and under-educated, with dreams of escaping to they-can't-quite-imagine-what.

 Upon learning that a new company called Soulfishing was doing this play, I felt a touch of dread. Why choose such bleak, difficult material? I wondered. But seeing the production reminded me what a well-crafted play The Crackwalker is, and that makes it a great choice. Put talented people to work on a good text and they're far less likely to fail than if the text was weak to begin with.

 This production has loads of talent, beginning with Concordia student Mindy Parfitt, whom I've seen and liked as an actor, making her directing debut. Among the strong cast and crew, largely composed of Parfitt's classmates, I'd single out Graham Cuthbertson as the loveable but hopeless Alan, and Sarah Blumel's evocative set and costumes. At Geordie Space (4001 Berri, #103) until Feb. 11. Info: 815-2136.

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