REVIEW: STATIONARY
Award-winning playwright duo Juno and Mike Rinaldi and award-winning director Jennifer Walton combine their high-caliber efforts to bring this familiar but refreshing twist on the romantic-comedy genre with Stationary: a play that is anything but.
The pre-show establishes the gym centre with live treadmills on set and the thudding beats of workout playlists. We are introduced to our two leads, who are almost constantly in motion throughout the show and that alone is a feat to behold. Their awkward first encounter is funny but drags a little as we establish who they are. Callahan Connor (actor) walks with purpose and a no-nonsense attitude while Laura Ellis (actor) plays clueless with fake confidence believably. The cringe felt between these two verges on uncomfortable (on purpose) but is delivered so well that it results in loud, relatable belly laughs from the sold out house.
As the play progresses, the two continue to meet and share training tips mixed with hilarious retorts, sass and sarcasm. This is where the writing and direction introduces a fantastic concept showcasing how constant motion keeps the plot moving forward and how, if you are always moving, you never have to stop and deal with the realities of your situation. The two leads slowly but surely begin to trust one another and open up about their relationships and their small but notable desires to have better lives. We start to see the two unravel while witnessing Connor’s near mid-life crisis meltdown and Ellis’s moving and emotional confession regarding her marriage troubles and suddenly, all motion on stage stops. This has a deep impact on the audience and it is performed beautifully.
The gym is often viewed as a place where people can escape from their realities for a while. It is a place to process, a type of physical, and often, emotional therapy. Stationary understands these concepts and melds them with an unexpected connection between two strangers. The bittersweet ending defies the common tropes of romantic-comedies but leaves the audience with a sense of catharsis nonetheless.
Stationary has several moments of laugh out loud comedy, especially from Ellis, who delivers an emotionally layered performance with ease. Very impressive work from this entire company. Get yourself in motion and head to see Stationary. It is well-worth the membership fee.
