Ottawa Fringe 2014: First Words

First words is a wonderfully pieced together story of a family’s reaction to tragedy and its affects on a first/last born child. Maman, like any good Franco-Ontarian Catholic, married young, scrubbed, cleaned, toiled, and produced babies. All was as it should be. Until, that is, a fire killed all five of her children: You, Me, He, She, and baby It. In order to deal with her pain, Maman decides to replace every one of her lost children with new ones, starting with the protagonist. Her and Papa decide to hold a party on the anniversary of their deaths every year, a joylessly joyful occasion, peppered with pink balloons, sorrow, and awkward social interactions.

Natalie Joy is a joy to watch on stage. She’s energetic without being draining, takes her time with transitions between scenes and is not afraid of silence. She’s an extremely expressive and fearless performer, throwing herself into the emotions of the moment, swaying to the music or slouching in a lounge chair in the club that is her mother’s womb. She’s magnetic and draws you into her character.

The team uses music and movement as an additional voice in the play, finding ways to express those feelings just intangible enough for which words won’t quite do. The show unfolds slowly – we are only given snippets at a time as to what is going on, both as to the story and the main character’s feelings. In piecing the puzzle, we go on a journey with our protagonist. This makes the moments of revelation all that much more mesmerizing. A show like this really reminds us of what Fringe is all about – pushing limits and finding new ways of expressing ourselves and the world around us.

First Words

By Natalie Joy Quesnel

Directed and dramaturged by Emily Pearlman

Sound design by Steve Lafond

Plays in Academic Hall