Cloudburst : the arrival of a bright new actor on the Ottawa scene

By Thom Fitzgerald, TotoToo Theatre.  Directed by Sarah Hearn

My colleagues have already expressed their admiration for this production and I can only agree with their opinions. Not that this was a surprise because Toto Too is in the habit of giving us excellent performances under the steady hand of inspired and creative  directors and Cloudburst was no exception.

Sarah Hearn’s work with the cast was admirable and showed a great sensitivity for the text.  I e felt  that  Stella, (Maureen Quinn McGovern ) was at times a bit over the top  because even though the language was pretty rough, she  might have  toned down the yelling  to avoid slipping too closely to the brink of a caricature, provoking laughs which were at times indications of much sadness.

I also felt that the  play ended too suddenly. It was clear what had happened and we were expecting such a denouement after it became evident that this was a form of Thelma and Louise escapade out of the  clutches of society and its crushing influence. However,  it just seemed to end too abruptly  without giving our emotions a chance to grasp the meaning  of it all.  Im not sure if it was a question of  the production rhythm that missed some  beats or  if the writing at that point just fizzled. It left me feeling slightly incomplete and  wishing more had been said. These are however minor sentiments that do not at all change the impression of the work as a  whole. .

On the other hand, I  would  like to emphasize the  excellent  performance by the fairly inexperienced Jason Hopkins who made such a strong impression on stage that I could barely take my eyes off him.  I kept waiting for him to lose his character, to slip up but no, he was so perfectly tuned to the feelings of young Prentice, the   hitchhiker and sometime modern dancer  that he kept his performance closely involved in the character and closely involved with all that was happening on stage, , even when he wasn’t speaking.

He convinced the two women to take him to see his mother in Economy Nova Scotia as they were off on their  adventure  to New Brunswick to get married. The mother was supposed to be dying and that meeting in her home was so beautiful and authentic without the slightest trace of overacting or exaggerated  sentimentality. It all evolved in a most ‘natural’ way. Jason Hopkins was at the basis of those moments, the sign of a very mature actor who gave the impression he was listening, and following and constantly aware of who he was and what the others were expressing.

A beautiful role  for this young person who had an outstanding chance to show us the strength of his acting ability, I do hope we see him again on the   Ottawa stage.

Cloudburst continues until September 17, at the Gladstone.