Reflections on Giving Birth to a Squid
By A. David Levine
Factory Theatre Studio
Sun July 5 @ 1:45pm
Mon July 6 @ 4:45pm
Tue July 7 @ 8:30pm
Thu July 9 @ 12:15pm
Sat July 11 @ 10:30pm
Tickets are $10 at the door.
Reviewed by Daina Valiulis
Reflections chronicles a woman’s (Mikaela Dyke) emotional journey of coming to terms with giving birth to a baby squid. She goes through varying levels of guilt, disgust, and disbelief, and her monologues are interspersed with videos and funny supporting characters, such as like Becky Braverman (the neighbourhood babysitter) and a sideshow ringmaster, who all drop in to punctuate her plight.
An interesting concept, and exploring the emotional gamut of such freakish circumstances was different and enjoyable. The media’s reaction to the event and the main character’s reaction to the media were both topical and sympathetic. Somewhat distracting however, was Dyke’s tendency to let out a nervous “ha” after every sentence and to end every sentence with a question mark. Regardless of whether these were acting habits or a character choice, they distracted from the story, which was surprisingly heartfelt. Her honesty as a performer/character was never compromised, despite the jarring affectation, which was a relief. A zany, different and intriguing show.
