Written by Marie Beath Badian and directed by Nina Lee Aquino, The Waltz encompasses a single moment in time when two teenagers fall in love.
Set in 1993, the show brings the audience back to what it’s like to fall in love for the very first time. The age-old question here lies underneath the play’s script—is love at first sight a true phenomenon, or an over-exaggerated cliché created by hopeless romantics?
Ericka Leobrera in The Waltz; set & costume design by Jackie Chau, lighting design by Michelle Ramsay, photo by Dahlia Katz.
Romeo “RJ” Alvarez Jr. (played by Anthony Perpuse) is travelling across Canada from Ontario to attend the University of British Columbia after graduating as valedictorian. Meanwhile, Beatrice “Bea” Klassen (played by Ericka Leobrera) is your typical angsty “teenage dirtbag” with a bite.
Tony Perpuse in The Waltz; set & costume design by Jackie Chau, lighting design by Michelle Ramsay, photo by Dahlia Katz.
Their lives intersect when RJ makes a pit stop in a rustic cabin in Saskatchewan to visit his mom’s old friends and comes across a crossbow-wielding Bea instead. In true teenager fashion, bickering ensues, lending a lighthearted and airy feeling to this romantic comedy. Yet the play is so much more than banter and jokes, touching on topics of dysfunctional households and where home really is. RJ struggles in his relationship with his father, never doing enough to appease him, whereas Bea lives constantly in her older sister’s shadow, feeling like an outcast. As they continue sharing their stories with each other, compassion blooms between them.
Ericka Leobrera and Tony Perpuse in The Waltz; set & costume design by Jackie Chau, lighting design by Michelle Ramsay, photo by Dahlia Katz.
Watching The Waltz feels like being back in an old movie theatre, soaking up a sappy rom-com that leaves you feeling warm inside as you watch yet another epic love story unfold. The most powerful moment of the show comes near the end, when RJ presses play on a boombox, urging Bea to come dance with him. She turns away from him and a moment clicks between the two of them—that familiar zing you get when you’ve realized your feelings for the other person.
Ericka Leobrera and Tony Perpuse in The Waltz; set & costume design by Jackie Chau, lighting design by Michelle Ramsay, photo by Dahlia Katz.
Eventually, she joins him on the cabin’s porch and, just like in the movies, the music stops, almost as if it’s been timed by the universe. Bea takes notice and, in a fairytale-like motion, RJ assures her they have all night. To the audience, the scene expands past the edges of the stage and becomes timeless, focused on the Saskatchewan sunset in the middle of the woods.
The Waltz has an intimate presence and full command of the room, demanding that viewers stop and pay attention. With the spotlight on the young teenagers, their connection speaks through their movements.
The Waltz, a Factory Theatre production, continues at the Great Canadian Theatre Company until Sunday, February 25, with evening performances Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and matinees at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available online.
The GCTC building features step-free street access with an accessible push-button door. There is elevator access to the second floor, and accessible washrooms on the first and second floors. All washrooms are inclusive. There are wheelchair-accessible seats in the front row and one in the back row. They offer complimentary tickets for companion attendants or personal support workers. Assistive listening devices are available to borrow from the box office.
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