‘One Act Wonders’ // Javeenbah Theatre
‘One Act Wonders’ was multitudinal.
‘One Act Wonders’, produced by Jake Goodall and CC Dargusch, was a collection of five short plays; ‘Mother’s Group: Uncorked’, ‘Battle of the Boyfriends’, ‘Radio Waves’, ‘Angelique’s World’ and ‘Don’t Do Drugs (Unless They’re Free)’. Each ranged from 10-45 minutes, and had a different genre, theme and time period, but altogether were entertaining and enjoyable to watch. With each play written and directed by a different person, multitudes of talent were showcased in this fun 2-hour performance.
Mother’s Group: Uncorked
‘Mother’s Group: Uncorked’ was the first one-act of the night. Written by Monique Durmaine and directed by Helen Maden, this play followed a group of mothers on their vacation away from their kids, where secrets quickly become exposed. Starring Rhyll Davis as ‘Jennifer’, Megan Frener as ‘Emma’, Nicky Fisser as ‘Amanda’, Ella Watkins as ‘Ashley’ and Sophie Lawson as ‘Crystal’, these women expertly portrayed best-friends and overtired mothers to the point where you wonder if their day on the stage was the true vacation from real children.
Battle of the Boyfriends
‘Battle of the Boyfriends’ was the next play of the day. Written and Directed by Jack Lovett, this show was filled with so much comedy and chaotic energy. Just when you think Amy (Samantha Sherrin) is dealing with enough with her two “boyfriends”, Harry (Lucas Cates) and Mouse (Dan Pohlmann), out pops two more suitors, Gordon (Trevor Love) and Logan (Brandon Jakob Stevens)! With each boyfriend rivalling for the spot of Amy’s boyfriend,, audiences are left wondering, who will win the title?
Radio Waves
‘Radio Waves’ was the third play, and quite a moving one. Written by Hunter Wall, and directed by Jake Goodall, this play tackled the sadness of the protests against gay marriage the queer community, from the point of view of a gay couple, Frankie (Brandon Jakob Stevens), the depressed and suicidal partner of Eddie (Elijah Haze), a closeted judge afraid of coming out to the world. While they try to make things work, attending a gay club to dance with Miss Teak (Rhyll Davis), ultimately, cruelty wins out, when they are accosted by a male stranger (Trevor Love).
Angelique’s World
‘Angelique’s World’ had a very unexpected twist at the end, and a fantastic one too! Written by Kate Squires and directed by Laura Starre, this play stars Harmony as ‘Angelique’, whose true identity is revealed with time. As audiences sit and listen, enraptured by her skincare routine and the story of her childhood, going from homeless to living extravagantly, it soon becomes apparent that Angelique is not a human, but in fact, a rescue cat!
Don’t Do Drugs (Unless They’re Free)
‘Don’t Do Drugs (Unless They’re Free)’ was the final one-act of the day, and a great conclusion to all the plays. Written and directed by Mikayla Maree Melo, this play follows two suspicious people, Molly (Nimisha (Nim) Aithal), who is trying to buy drugs, and Greg (Elijah Haze), who is trying to sell drugs. However, neither can trust the other, and when it comes time to exchange the goods, Molly reveals herself to be a cop, and Greg, whose life already sounds quite unfortunate, reveals himself to carry a fake gun! The turn of events left the audience in stitches, especially when Greg attempted to escape, only to reveal he did in fact have the drugs!
The costumes, by Christine McLachlan, were all colourful and reflective of both the characters and the time period they took place. No show used the same costume twice, and it was wonderful to see every new character introduced had their own sense of style. The most amazing costume, however, was the tear-away shirt and pants worn by Dan Pohlmann in ‘Battle of the Boyfriends’. Incredibly well-made and was quite hilarious seeing Dan rip his clothes off twice. The makeup, done by Harmony Balden-Vine, was beautiful, highlighting the faces and features of the actors. Most notable was the fantastic use of makeup for Miss Teak’s character in ‘Radio Waves’; incredible!
The lighting and sound, operated by Ben Vlasich and Oskar Apps-Perry respectively, was incredibly well done! They were always in sync and never missed a beat, keeping audiences entrapped in the performance. Set design by Jeff Butterworth and Jake Goodall was also very impressive. Minimalistic, yet effective and easy to move around, they proved that you don’t need to have a giant backdrop or construction work done to create beautiful settings and atmosphere that engage the audience.
The backstage crew, headed by Stage Manager Tex Houston, were very quick in their set changes, Good job! A truly enjoyable show with an incredible cast and hardworking crew, ‘One-Act Wonders’ was a delight to watch.
‘One-Act Wonders’ performed until July 14th, 2024 at Javeenbah Theatre.
Photos by Jeff Butterworth
