by AMY BARRATT

Playwright Anthony Kokx never repeats himself, except of course when he does.

In his latest play, Ugly, currently inaugurating the new Saidye B Off Centre space, we hear the same bits of dialogue repeated over and over. Ugly is a wonderful theatre-of-the-absurd-y piece about love, obsession and the patterns we fall into in our love lives. The repetition suggests a cycle of behaviour from which the characters can’t escape.

It’s not quite true, as director Madd Harold told me recently, that the piece has "no plot," but it certainly isn’t told in a linear fashion. Basically, Ugly is about Leo (Mike Hughes), who meets and falls for Andy (Stephenie Farrell), who also falls for him; the relationship ends, and Leo finds himself suffering the lover’s painful withdrawal symptoms. He literally writhes about on the floor, spouting lines like, "She made me me," and we laugh at the dramatics, but also feel for him… because which of us has never seen wood-grain close up? The third character is Awly (Yann Bernaquez), the friend who tries to jolly Leo out of his lovesickness.

Past Gravy Bath productions, though always innovative, have tended to fall below professional standards in some respects. Ugly is the first GB show I’ve seen where I didn’t need to make any allowances. It’s not "really good for a bunch of kids," it’s just really good. I am particularly impressed by the performances of Bernaquez, Hughes and Farrell. The work is saved from its abstractness by the fact that each of them does something with every single line.

Gravy Bath works as a company because it brings together individuals with harmonious visions and complementary talents. Kokx writes in clipped, cryptic dialogue, and doesn’t necessarily envision a performance. It is left up to Harold, with the collaboration of designers, to create a visual concept. With Ugly he has devised a mise-en-scène that perfectly complements Kokx’s words. He has illustrated the precariousness of love using stepladders and bare lightbulbs suspended from the ceiling.

The Saidye B space, a black box created out of the existing Saidye stage, is an exciting new addition on the English scene.

As for repeating himself as a playwright, Kokx is always too busy moving on to the next thing to worry about finding a "winning formula." With each new text, we see this young playwright growing and learning at an almost alarming rate. Ditto with Gravy Bath Productions.

Amy’s adieu

And now, dear readers, I must wish you a fond au revoir. As I am expecting a baby any day now, I won’t be getting out to the theatre much for a while. Taking my place for the next eight weeks or so will be the lovely Janis Kirshner. Many of you know Janis as an actor-comedienne, but she is also a fellow member of the Montreal English Critics Circle who has written reviews for Montreal.com, among others.

If you have sent publicity material to me recently either at the Mirror or at home, fear not, it will be passed on to Janis. Starting right now, you can contact La Kirshner via e-mail: jkirshner@sympatico.ca

Until May then, wishing you bonne lecture and bon théâtre! :

Ugly, Thursday at 8pm, Saturday at 2, 7 and 9pm, until March 8 at the Saidye (5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine), $10, 739-2301

>> Stage Listings