A young crime novelist meets with a grand dame of Canadian theatre to ghost write her memoir – and gets a lesson on love in A Play on Passion. Written by G.D. Corkum and Patricia Delves, and directed/produced by Danielle Capretti, the play is being presented as a rehearsed reading for two performances at the Blake Thorne Studio.
A renowned stage actress born and raised in England, Veronica Devereaux (Delves) is chilly and aloof with wordsmith William Adkins (Gabriel DiFabio) when he first arrives, put off that their publisher has sent a writer with no knowledge of the theatre to write her story. The two soon find some common ground in their mutual, dogged pursuit of their respective arts – against the odds and the will of their parents – and Veronica’s icy veneer melts as she discovers a kindred spirit in William. As Veronica’s stories veer from the professional to the personal, her retrospective of love and passion touches a chord in William, who is struggling in his relationship with his girlfriend. And shared stories become shared wisdom.
A Play on Passion is a lovely two-hander, written with heart, humour and insight. Delves is a delight as Veronica, giving her both a regal dignity and a devilishly playful sense of humour. An actress of advanced years with a razor-sharp wit and a passion for life, her curiosity and verve have been tempered by decades of experience in life and on stage, but she remains frank and unapologetic of her choices. Wounded, but not destroyed, by regret. DiFabio is full of youthful charm and drive as William, giving us layers of creativity, sensitivity and sexuality. His parents expected him to be a plumber, but he chose instead to mine the human psyche for its dark and light desires to create stories of noir intrigue. At a crossroads with his girlfriend, he finds himself at a loss, aware that this is something new and wonderful, but scared to death of what it all means.
A bittersweet memoir of lost love, served with the wisdom of hindsight, in the intimate, moving and witty A Play on Passion.
A Play on Passion has one more performance today (Sat, Nov 21) at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are PWYW (pay what you want) at the door. You can call ahead for reservations at 416-762-4364; seating is limited, so book ahead or get there early.
The Blake Thorne Studio is located at 720 Bathurst St., Suite 401 – it’s the warehouse turned office building just south of the Randolph and Annex theatres (right next to the elevator – see the door with the kick-ass art/signage on it).
life with more cowbell 