Andrew Gillies (10/05 Vertical Hour)
Dalhousie Gazette 10/27/05: Andrew Gillies
The Vertical Hour: Walking a fine line
Patrick St. Amand
The ambivalence of this play makes it exceptionally hard to review. Not to mention that having an opinion is seen negatively in the play itself. So, how exactly does one critique a play that is habitually critiquing itself?
The Vertical Hour, playing at Neptune Theatre is a play directed by Ron Ulrich. The set locations only consist of a professor's office, Wales for a trip, then back to the office.
The professor, played by Carmen Grant, is a political science expert and a gung-ho Iraqi supporter. When she goes to Wales to meet her boyfriend's father, played by Andrew Gillies, she finds an anti-war, womanizing doctor.
The actors did a fine job of presenting and delivering their lines. The set was believable and well-crafted.
The dialogue between the father and the professor was also a delight, constantly undercutting itself while talking about political issues the audience could relate to.
However, there are certain areas where the play itself falls short. The mysterious past of the father being a womanizer and having been in a traumatic car accident is poorly developed. The son seems to be jealous of his father and have an unyielding resentment for him that is not really explained or resolved.
Not to say that the viewer should be foolish enough to assume all will work out, but when the opportunity for conflict arises, the resolution falters.
The opening scenes in the professor's office don't gel with the rest of the play. In the first scene, a student hits on the professor and in the second, a student writes a paper inspired by her recent break-up with her boyfriend.
The end anticlimactically finishes with the professor trying to inspire the student and then, out of nowhere, informing the student she won't be able to help her after all because she is going back to Iraq.
In taking a stance, the play shows the pros and cons of the current political mentality. Although there is room for improvement, overall the play is enjoyable and worth checking out.
© Dalhousie Gazette