Women’s voices reach out across the pitch-black room in a tune that sounds almost mournful. When the lights come up, two women wearing bathing suits sitting in a soaker tub are illuminated on centre stage. The floor, ceiling, and curtains shroud the stage in funerary black, contrasting the virginal white bathtub and swimsuits.
So begins Quote Unquote Collective’s Mouthpiece, part of the Belfry Theatre’s Spark Festival this week.
In the performance, we follow the journey of the lead character, Cassandra, portrayed uniquely by both director/writer/performer Amy Nostbakken and writer/performer Norah Sadava. The death of Cassandra’s mother, Elaine, triggers a descent into near-madness for Cassandra as she grapples with funeral arrangements and tries to make sense of the societal issues that follow women from womb to grave.
Nostbakken and Sadava give an uninhibited and spirited performance, relying heavily on their bodies to depict the inner turmoil of the lead character through use of synchronized movements, song, and interpretive dance. The bathtub serves as the main prop; the two also make clever use of a microphone and some fog, and there’s some strategic use of spot lighting to highlight the actresses. Some scenes are harder to decipher than others, and there are two scenes that could have concluded sooner than they did.
The overall emotional tone of the play is one of confusion and anger. No stone is left unturned as women’s issues are explored in a sometimes satirical and often no-holds-barred manner. However, the powerful messages are sometimes overshadowed by the drama of the play itself in scenes that are a bit of an enigma or that overwhelm the senses with a fervent level of activity or noise.
Mouthpiece doesn’t offer anything new to the audience to take away, but it does present information we’re already aware of in a fresh way. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in women’s rights, as it’s sure to reinforce and reignite their passion for the subject matter. (The rest of Mouthpiece’s run is sold out, but keep an eye on the Belfry’s social media as tickets may become available.)
Mouthpiece
Until Saturday, March 17
Belfry Theatre
sparkfestival.ca