Live and in person at VideoCabaret, 10 Busy Street. Toronto, Ont. Running, Oct. 24, 25, 26, 27.
Dear Robert
Written by Jim Garrard
Directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff
Props and set by Merle Harley
Sound by Jack Nicholsen
Lighting by Andrew Dollar
Cast: Rebecca Gibian
NOTE: Layne Coleman has the guts of a bandit. Mr. Coleman is an actor, writer, director and a mover and shaker of the early days of theatre in Toronto. He was the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille and now is the interim Artistic Director of VideoCabaret.
For his first season programming at VideoCabaret he went back to Toronto’s Theatre roots and programmed Alan Williams’ one man show Once in a Lifetime, Sometimes Never, as he mused about theatre, generational differences, Shakespeare and even the future.
Layne Coleman follows this with Dear Robert & Special Delivery, both of which celebrate the almost lost art of writing letters. Who comes up with programming like this– Layne Coleman, a man of impish daring with the guts of a bandit.
Both Dear Robert and Special Delivery are two pieces of theatre that celebrate the art of letter writing, and do it with wit, intelligence and (in the case of Special Delivery) wonderful singing.
Amanda (Rebecca Gibian) sits at a small desk in an apartment with packing boxes strewn around the floor. She begins reading from a three-page hand–written letter (on pink paper), pen in hand. It’s addressed to a man named Robert. She reads it aloud to check what she wrote. She misses Robert and hopes he’s happy and settled where he is. The letter is chatty and then she lightly says that she might be pregnant and it might be his. She finishes reading all three pages with a few corrections then folds the letter and places it in an envelope, writes Robert’s address on it, (checking her address book), then carefully applying a stamp. I note she does not put her return address on the envelope. That was interesting. She seals the envelope and carefully places it to the side of the desk.
Amanda takes another three-page hand-written letter, this time written on paper another pastel colour, addressed to Richard. There are a few details particular to Richard in this letter and again Amanda is breezy with the news that she might be pregnant and Richard might be the father. The same process for the envelope takes place. Again, no return address. And there is another letter addressed to another person that I will keep to myself so as not to spoil the wonderful joke of it. Jim Garrard’s writing is quirky, very funny, irreverent and full of surprises in this short play. The piece is beautifully, sensitively directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff. She is not a flashy director pointing to her own work. She always serves the piece and lets it clearly say what it says.
Rebecca Gibian plays Amanda with an easy confidence. There is no judgement of Amanda towards these recipients because of Rebecca Gibian’s nuanced playing of her. There is confidence, humour and a wonderful artfulness in that Amanda hand writes the letters. This is not old fashioned. This is making a statement of effort, importance and purpose. Wonderful.
Special Delivery
Curated and co-performed by Jack Nicholsen
Co-performed by Laska Sawade
Jack Nicholsen has created the perfect companion piece to Dear Robert. It’s a short concert of songs about letters such as: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “My Baby Just Wrote Me a Letter,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter,” and the crushing, “Return to Sender.”
Each song is sung with simplicity, beautiful harmony and joy by Jack Nicholsen and Laska Sawade. Nothing fancy: two stand microphones, both performers in jeans and a work shirt, and the wonderful musicality. Again, wonderful.
VideoCabaret presents:
Plays Oct. 24-27, 2024.
Running time: 1 hour (no intermission)