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When & Where September 6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14 & 15, 2024 | Ballet BC Rehearsal Studio, 1286 Cartwright St., Granville Island Directors Maryth Gilroy and Karen Hamm Cast Sandra Medeiros and Matt Loop Reviewer John Anthony Jane If you think that the title of this play is the first line of a joke you’ve already heard too often, that’s because it is. Despite the title, it isn’t even a comedy, well, not really. It’s more like a study in human reaction and gender politics performed as a trilogy; the same man walks into the same bar on three separate occasions and interacts differently with the same woman who works at the bar. The woman, with the unwanted assistance from the man whom she prefers to refer to as a guest, begins to tell a joke. She is frequently interrupted by the man, who insists that she adds colour and detail to the story and even offers to enact the role of the joke’s subject. However, as the two-handed process develops, the man’s collaboration not only feels redundant, but obnoxious as he attempts to hijacks the narrative. At the beginning, the woman demonstrates goodwill and confidence. By the end she is fearful. Playwright Rachel Blair teases us initially with an interesting romantic scenario, but over the course of three distinct situations the man and woman seem to know each other less rather than better, as the relationship turns into a rather menacing battle of the sexes. Sandra Medeiros and Matt Loop deliver nuanced performances as the protagonists, whose characters in the joke gradually blend into their stage roles. © 2024
John Anthony Jane
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