50 min l Dark Comedy, Solo l PG
Having never seen a one-woman (or one-man) show before, the thought of a full 60 minute play with only one performer seemed to me a daunting task. How would she possibly hold the audience’s attention and keep us engaged for the entire hour?
As the crowd filtered into the Arts Court theatre, the bride-to-be sat with her back to the audience at a small white desk, one of the few props on stage, alongside a chilled bottle of bubbly, a bouquet of tulips, and — the centerpiece — a luxurious white wedding gown. The lights began to dim, and I endured the first few moments with baited breath, my initial worries returning — one woman, one hour. How would she do it?
Performer and writer Ashley Risser dismissed all such worries in a mere 60 seconds as she ducked behind her wedding gown and emerged several times, trying on different forms of “Welcome!” to her initially abashed and uncertain audience. It didn’t take long for the whole room to warm up immediately to the young performer’s exuberance and energy, her character’s flighty, over-the-top Bridezilla behaviour quickly transforming spotty giggles into full blown laughter that filled the room.
However, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this young woman than her superficial Bridezilla exterior; there are doubts, and lots of them! Once the bright pink bubble of wedding day bliss is popped, what is left? This is one of the many tricky questions that our bride-to-be must tackle as she circles the stage, slowly draining her bottle of champagne as she takes us on a ride from past to present with funny tales of ex-boyfriends and career dreams, expertly including some short but entertaining (seriously!) moments of audience participation along the way.
Ever heard of a 5-minute Bachelorette party? Well, you just might be part of one if you decide to #SayYesToTheMess and check out Ashley Rissler’s one-woman performance of Bride or Die.
Bride or Die is playing at the Arts Court on: SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2:30PM, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 8:30PM, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 8:00PM, SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 10:30PM, & SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 3:30PM
Tickets $12.
