This past Tuesday, I had the treat of attending Dionysus in Stony Mountain, presented by Theatre Projects Manitoba. This was the first live play I have seen and I enjoyed the experience.
The play is split into two one-hour acts. The first act takes place in dimly lit room, within the confines of Stony Mountain. Sarah Constible plays Heidi Prober, a prison psychiatrist who is trying very hard to get Ross McMillan's character, James Hiebert, back on his medication.
Hiebert is just weeks away from parole and if he doesn't resume taking his lithium, he will not be leaving Stony Mountain. He often rants throughout the first act, citing long quotes from Nietzsche. While I admire McMillan's ability to remember such long, diluted quotes, the first act was quite dull. There was no real attention grabber during the hour and for many, it was to intellectually "out there." If you have not read any Nietzsche, then like me and countless others, you were lost for the most part.
The second act took place in Heidi Prober's home. By this time in the play, she had quit her psychiatrist job. McMillan was now playing his second character, uncle Eric.
While renovating her home, Heidi is visited by uncle Eric, who was sent by her parents. After abruptly quitting her job and ignoring family phone calls, Eric was sent from Toronto to see what was going on with Heidi.
This act was much more engaging and easier to watch. The actors were very believable and I enjoyed uncle Eric's character. McMillan felt much more comfortable in this role - or it seemed that way to me, anyways.
One small problem I had with the second act was when both actors continued measuring the insulation when it was clear that they were pre-cut. Other than that, I had no complaints with the act.
Overall, I thought my first experience watching a play was quite positive. Although the story could have been better, it was an experience that I would have not otherwise participated in if I wasn't in CreComm.
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