Fringe Festival 2011: Complex Numbers

Fiona (Stephanie Halin), who likes her sex slightly rough, is itching to have an extramarital affair. She has her sights set on co-worker Dan (Tim Anderson), and he’s game. Fiona’s husband Alex (J.P. Chartier) wants to be accepting of his wife’s hankerings — in fact, they’ve even done a workshop on how to do it (how to have an extramarital affair, that is) so that no one gets hurt. Also in the picture is Maggie (Ellen Manchee), the hypochondriac boss of Fiona and Dan who appears occasionally to nudge the plot along. Jenn Keay plays the workshop facilitator; seated behind a semitransparent curtain, she reads a few passages from a textbook about the ins-and-outs of extramarital sex.

 

That, in a nutshell, is playwright Nadine Thornhill’s unnecessary play about love, honesty in relationships, and other stuff. Directed by Ken Godmere, the acting is nearly as dispiriting as the script. Oh well, different strokes and all that sort of thing.

* * * * * * * * * *

Complex Numbers

Silent QUEMB Productions

By Nadine Thornhill

Directed by Ken Godmere

Featuring

Stephanie Halin   as   Fiona

J.P. Chartier as Alex

Tim Anderson  as  Dan

Ellen Manchee   as Maggie

Jenn Keay  as the  Facilitator

At Academic Hall, University of Ottawa