C’MON ANGIE! at Firehall Arts Centre until June 9 a review by Judy Robb

C’mon Angie!

Touchstone Theatre’s world premiere of “C’mon Angie” written by Amy Lee Lavoie and directed by Lauren Taylor, is an intimate exploration of the aftermath of a one night stand that invites the audience to ponder the very timely issues of consent, responsibility and power.

The one act play opens in a small apartment, where a woman, Angie (Kayla Deorksen), appears to be sleeping. A man’s voice from the bathroom enquires about various personal hygiene products. Reed, (Robert Moloney, emerges in a towel and, while he apologizes for using her things, begins going through her drawers. He continues to talk, even asking whether she might have time for lunch later in the week, before he addresses the fact that she has not yet spoken. He is dressed and prepared to leave when Angie says, “Are you aware that you assaulted me?” Reed is shocked at the allegation, responding that he is completely lost. And so the dialogue begins.

The discussion is completely engrossing and very real. It was happenstance that they met at the bar. They are not friends, but do know one another. They drank too much. The audience is, at first, lulled into believing that this encounter was just another casual tryst. But playwright Amy Lee Lavoie digs deeper. Angie and Reed compare what they initially thought when they met at the bar, and their differing opinions about their history as acquaintances. They speculate – and disagree – about how the night progressed. As the conversation turns to the alleged assault, we are reminded about what happens when self-preservation is threatened.

Conversations about “C’mon Angie” begin as soon as the audience leaves the theatre, which is the purpose of the play. How must we define consent? How can it be withdrawn? How does imbalance of power shift the burden of consent? Under what circumstances does an encounter become an assault? To what degree can clear communication be implied rather than stated? While this engaging production does not provide easy answers, it masterfully succeeds in deepening important thinking on this timely topic. This is definitely a play worth experiencing.