SummerWorks Theatre Festival 2010– RedHeaded Stepchild, Say Ginger Ale, Aftershock, Me Happy, Big Face (Factory Studio Theatre)

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Here are some more quick cuts of SummerWorks productions.

Redheaded Stepchild is a must see. The solo show, written and performed by the adorable Johnnie Walker, is a very clever and droll monologue about a gifted 12-year-old loser.

Say Ginger Ale shows real promise by Jamaican-Canadian playwright Marcia Johnson. Her plot may be predictable, but she has a gift for one-liners.

Me Happy is an elevated fusion of poetic language, magic realism and humorous whimsy by Amy Lee Lavoie and Matthew Mackenzie. Actors Chala Hunter and Alex McCooeye are real talents.

Aftershock by Evan Tsitsias sports a sensational performance by Patrick Garrow and strong acting from the rest of the cast. The metaphoric play about a dysfunctional family, however, has a been there, done that feel.

Finally, Big Face has an interesting script about the intimate life of a hard drinking, hard-living woman. Unfortunately, writer/performer Marion de Vries is not up to the acting demands.

SummerWorks continues at various theatres until Aug. 15.

RedHeaded Stepchild, Say Ginger Ale, Aftershock, Me Happy, Big Face
SummerWorks Theatre Festival 2010
Factory Studio Theatre, Aug. 5 to 15, 2010