Ottawa Fringe: Beans of Fury. An apocalyptic critique of corporate culture!
Corporations have been under heavy scrutiny in recent times, at least since the heyday of the global Occupy movement in 2011. In light of both this and the numerous public controversies that have surrounded the dominant Starbucks brand (such as racial profiling in the US and exploitive working conditions in Africa), a coffee-chain is an apt representative for the kinds of corporations that are targeted in Matt Hertendy’s apocalyptic-comedy Beans of Fury.
Set in a future where climate change has eradicated the supply of all beans except those of a hidden pile in Switzerland, the play begins with introducing us to the last mountaintop coffee shop in existence, manned only by two robots (Hertendy and Sheldon Parathundyil). A young woman (Robin Star Breiche) then enters to break the monotonous grind, seeking a job with the store. After performing training modules and being made to go through a cult-like initiation ritual (involving the sacrifice of a cardboard goat, no less), the woman is hired and given the daunting task of retrieving the last supply of beans as the last wish of the company’s greedy CEO. Humour is in no short supply in this play, as the stilted delivery and literalist statements of Hertendy and Parathundyil fuel the absurdity of the whole situation.
Alongside the comedic occurrences that take place during her quest, deeper commentary on societal dissatisfaction is expressed in the scenes which show the robots trying to their hardest to keep the store’s customers happy. An act of desperation on the part of a customer who demands more syrup even though it proves fatal is a particularly reflective moment; as Hertendy’s character states, “The syrup guzzling was a cry for help.” Amidst the backdrop of a corporation led by an executive who evidently only values their own interests, this sentiment subtly expresses how the needs of ordinary citizens are often not taken seriously by the ‘big players’ in society.
As a production, Beans of Fury offers a unique blend of corporate criticism and apocalypse comedy which is eminently relatable to the present cultural moment. While jokes and nonsensical events provide its thrust, the play still manages to make thoughtful observations on the mechanizing impulse (and its service detriment to humans) of corporations.
Beans of Fury continues until June 22 at the ODD Box in Arts Court Theatre as part of the Ottawa Fringe Festival. For information and tickets, see https://ottawafringe.com/shows/beans-of-fury/