I was reluctant. I’m not gonna lie. Romantic Comedy is not my jam. But Now and Then, directed by Brian Cano, made my heart grow three sizes in two hours.
The Ottawa Little Theatre punches above its weight yet again!
It’s 1981. Jamie and Abby―played seamlessly by Matt Walker and Shae Jalava―are in the dawn of their love. While Jamie closes up the bar where he works, preparing for a romantic evening with his sweetheart, a man, played wonderfully by Corey Pelow, intrudes on their plans. The stranger begs for a little of their time and offers money (a lot) when they refuse. It’s hard to pass up a stack of cash, so they settle in for a weird encounter.
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
The man wants Jamie to reconsider his decisions, starting with what he was going to do that very night, what he was going to ask Abby with a little red box. But how does the man know? In a flash, another stranger appears, a woman played by the very talented Denise Shannon, and she is rip-roaring mad at the man—then things get interesting.
So why don’t I like romantic comedy? I find it predictable. It’s true, Now and Then follows the much-beloved tropes of the genre, but it feels like something more because the cast performances are so fabulous. The players easily drive the plot forward with smooth, well-delivered lines, genuine emotion, and jokes that made me sputter with surprised delight. The set was used to great advantage by the actors and the lighting was spot on. (See what I did there?)
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
But my favourite thing? Well.
A plot twist can be a cheat, a deus ex machina, if it introduces something brand new. But a reveal? A reveal highlights something that was always there. The writing was on the wall, as it were.
The reveal for Now and Then had me choking back tears. Yes, I was embarrassed that I enjoyed myself. There, I said it.
Now and Then makes us question our choices and it asks, do you have the time? Go see it to find out!
Now and Then is playing at the Ottawa Little Theatre until April 19, 2025. Learn more and get your tickets here.
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