Moving Target

(Empty Oven Theatre and The Theatre Resource Centre)
Created by performer Erin Bouvey and director Sue Morrison

Flam St. Cyr, an intensely disquiet and conflicted personality reviews her doubts and fears with us. She is struggling with her mental illness. This is an unlikely choice for a clown, but this new show is on the verge of really working. The character is strong and engaging, and Erin is alive and in the moment, in contact with her audience. Her conversation with us is fascinating. We really want to know about her, and we feel sympathy for her stuggle.

This show relies heavily on text. There are times when the words just overwhelmed me. I wished she had given me more breathing space to take in what she said, to digest it. In the very beginning, she started talking a mile a minute, when I wanted a moment to take in the unusual looking woman (clown) before me. Although I followed her eagerly, I sometimes felt left in the dust by the furious pace of her monologue. By the time she was ready to leave, I was not sure what resolution of her troubles carried her off the stage. I really wanted to understand--I so liked this person.

Flam St Cyr ingests medication repeatedly throughout the show; we don't recognize why she takes it each time, or what effect it has on her--does it calm her, envigorate her, sedate her? She kept a similar energy level throughout the show. This device coild be a built in way to provide a more varied dynamic.

I look forward to seeing the development of this show. It has so much potential to be truly, deeply moving, providing insight into the inner life of our suffering loved ones. Bravo for Erin and Sue!