Okay, so imagine this: You are an actor performing a modern day screwball comedy, full of American references, to a busload of senior citizens whose first language is not English. It's a tribute to the strong cast and a strong script that this performance of Option to Renew gets the laughs it does.
Give credit first to the wacky premise. A rich and successful career woman decides she wants to find a mate the way she would find an employee—by interviewing him. Things go awry when the candidate she selects is someone she was supposed to interview for a catering job. He seduces her with food (note to men: this works) thinking he is trying out to be her caterer and not her boyfriend. Before either realizes what's going on, they sign a contract. She's struck with a boyfriend who's a cook and he's stuck with a driven shrew—a three year contract with an option to renew.
This performance at the Victoria Playhouse is the world premiere for this play, which was written by new Island resident Margaret Martinello. Option to Renew won the 2006 Theatre PEI New Voices Playwriting competition and it's easy to see why. Full of snappy dialogue and physical comedy, the play keeps you guessing. You kind of figure that things are going to work out, but it's never obvious why.
As Babette O'Connor, the driven shrew, Johanna Nutter has a tough row to hoe. Babette is, by turns, high-handed and shrill, though her true sweet nature comes through when she has a belly full of great food and wine (second note to men: this also works). Nutter does a great job of being both stressed and sweet—you don't know whether to cheer for Babette or smack her.
Same for Will McFadden, the caterer/love interest J. Aloysius Baker. No surprise that he falls for Babette and, really, no surprise she falls for him either. What girl wouldn't love a guy who can whip up a lamb curry and will defend your honour by throwing knives? McFadden is smooth and funny with just the slight touch of irony that screwball needs.
Adam Gauthier has three parts (the doorman, Babette's lawyer and a rival suitor) and handles each so well that it's hard to believe it's the same actor each time. And Dawn Doiron is great as Babette's caustic and perpetually pregnant sister.
Option to Renew zips right along, handing you a surprise or a laugh every minute. In falters only at the end. The denouement relies almost entirely on exposition—the playwright is telling us things instead of showing us. “I love the fact you are learning Korean to impress a client” says Aloysius to Babette. “I love how you leave a mess all over when you're creating something”, replies Babette. But we never saw the characters do any of these things and it feels like words are being substituted for potentially much funnier actions.
Keeping a fast paced screwball comedy going is like trying to keep a balloon aloft. And the actors did it—until the last few minutes, when a little air leaked out.
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