By David F. Rooney
Some of Revelstoke’s talented young men and women are presenting an amusing and refreshing new take on teenagers and the War Between the Sexes with Flying Arrow Production’s performance of Mark Ravenhill’s play Totally Over You.
I say refreshing because while we have over the last few years seen darker visions of youth and sexuality, this English playwright’s comedy has no sex, no drugs and almost no swearing. The strongest word in this one-hour production at the Performing Arts Centre this Thursday through Saturday is the word “bitch,” which is positively mild by modern standards.
Totally Over Youth explores these favourite topics of contemporary teens: the opposite sex and how to attract and/or manipulate them and how to become a celebrity.
The plot is simple a flock of four girls decide to ditch their boyfriends because, fueled by glamour magazines, they think their beaus are boring and they fantasize about dating celebrities. The boys retaliate and listen to the idea of a younger boy who is not one of their clique. He concocts an outlandish plan to fool the girls and convince them that the boys have formed a band that is about to become famous. Does it work? Will the quest for a few fleeting moments of fickle fame consumer their lives? Or will love win in the end?
I won’t say anything here about the ending of the play. You have to see it for yourselves. But there is plenty of teenaged angst, a semi-confused glimmering of sexuality and melodrama — remember that from our own teens?
One of the best aspects of this play is the fact that we get to see teens portraying teens and the cast does a marvelous job. Their dialogue is crisp and sounds reasonably authentic. The only drawback is some of the boys and girls have to work at projecting their voices a little more.
My hat is off to Producer Bex Reid-Parking and Director Hailey Christie-Hoyle and cast: Maya McDowell, Tristan Herle, Matt Kurtenbach, Amelia Brown, Jade Davies, Claudia Cinelli, Rebecca Grabinsky, Sarah Carey, Arden Davis, Hannah Busch, Avery Matson, Kimberly Howard, Jade-Lyn Harder, Hunter Stewardson and Roman…
The young stage crew deserve some recognition, too: Technical Director Sarah Harper, Stage Director Julia Dorrius, Sound Director Aleks Klassen, Artistic Director Alice Dunkerson, Stage Manager Katharina Commer, Lighting Director Nick Sakiyama and Film Director Riley Olsen.
And finally, I think we all owe Flying Arrow Artistic Director Anita Hallewas applause for her dedication to helping our young people realize their potential as young actors.
Totally Over You is sponsored by the Columbia Basin Trust, Knights of Pythias, Big Mountain Kitchen and Linen, Pharmasave, Lakeside Printing and the Village Idiot.
It is being performed at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre May 28 – 30 at 7:30 pm and on May 31 at 2 pm. Admission is $5 for students and children and $10 for adults.
Here are some photos from the cast’s dress rehearsal held on Tuesday, May 26:
