Two Ottawa theatre companies produced a lovely queer double bill this past weekend at Arts Court Theatre. Levity Theatre Productions consists of director and co-artistic director Caity Smyck (she/they) and playwright/co-artistic director Eve Beauchamp (they/them). Trip the Light Theatre Company is comprised of director and choreographer Sophie Goyette-Hamels (she/her), stage manager Tamara Laplante (she/her), producer, creator, and performer Sarah Ivanco (she/they), and creators/performers Glenys Marshall (she/her), Kay Addison (she/they), and Kristen Thompson (they/she/he). The two plays were a nice contrast and made for a great evening of theatre!
la∙bel
Written by Eve Beauchamp and directed by Caity Smyck
Produced by Levity Theatre
As the house opens, we enter into a realm of cardboard boxes all labelled as though they’ve been recently moved. While the set is cardboard brown in colour, it is majestic in its simplicity—the levels and lighting add intrigue and invite the audience into the unboxing of this show.
la•bel is a piece that combines relationships, queerness, identity, and the various forms of unpacking one must do in the wake of a change. As we follow the main character Beattie through their struggles of relocating and managing their relationship, we are taken through a series of nostalgic and earnest scenes as they dive into the various insecurities regarding their identity that they’ve experienced throughout their life.
Through appropriately hot and cold lighting changes, we see their current relationship challenges with Eleanor while slowly unveiling the contents of some of the boxes. The play was interspersed with movement and music, allowing the audience to connect with the main character while also maintaining a curiosity about where we’ll go next.
Touching and personal, this show was a beautiful insight into Bea’s life and their challenges. However, at times, it felt disconnected and requested a lot of the audience regarding reading into subtleties.
Overall, this show was a lovely snapshot into the mind of a young trans person diving into themselves. I look forward to seeing any future version that Levity Theatre produces!
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NUIT
Created by Trip the Light Theatre
A stunning series of vignettes covering the highs and lows of a night out, NUIT is a truly delightful piece of theatre that brings as much energy and excitement as the adventures and experiences it depicts.
Sweet and honest, NUIT centres around various characters going through their arcs throughout the evening. From the pre-party to the party itself, they have successfully captured the entirety of the vibe, with plenty of excellent lines and succinct snapshots of the many, many perspectives of everyone involved, from the very beginning of the night to the bartenders to the (occasionally) fateful morning brunch.
The ensemble work in NUIT is truly fantastic. Glenys, Sarah, Kay, and Kristen play off each other incredibly well, from their movement to the vignettes. Their ability to float through the scenes while being absolutely hilarious is wonderful. Though the show is predominantly goofy and fun, they approach darker themes with beautiful ease, making hard-hitting points about respect and consent.
This show was an absolute joy to watch, and I hope to get another chance to see it.
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