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Theatre Orangeville’s online Streaming: The Third Life of Eddy Mann

August 13, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

What does it mean to retire from the job you love? To take up another employment which you really do not like as much? To struggle with the new image of yourself as a failure, late in life, in that new job? These are the questions that begin John Spurway’s new play, The Third Life of Eddie Mann, which opened at Theatre Orangeville’s online streaming July 30 and runs until August 17.

The lights come up on Eddie, standing on a ledge of the sixth floor of a hospital where his last client of this new job just fired him. Minimalistic, the set is perfect: The idea of windows at the corner of the building with a ledge around the corner, it allows the actors to shuffle, sit down carefully, hang on passionately as the story progresses. Chances are, Eddie might not be jump material: six floors may well not actually kill him and his story is not sad enough but his sense of being lost is clear and his need for a friendly face is a fact.

Fate, in the hands of the author, is kind and with a touch of “now you don’t see him, now you do,” a sort-of kindly man appears next to him. Right away this person denies any intention to talk Eddie out of jumping but does ask him for his very fine watch, with its useful, working second hand. Eddie refuses. This leads to a debate about the benefits of such a watch to a dead man.

“I’m Angel,” says the man eventually to Eddie and then, “I am an Angel,” he admits later, an assertion that incurs disbelief and comical debate, with some concession on the possibilities such a thing could be true.

This comes about with tentative proof, when Angel talks about the driver of a single-vehicle accident, being brought to the hospital as a DOA.

“It’s my job to take him to the ‘show’,” he declares.

Basically though, their conversation has been largely about baseball and Angel is obviously a big fan: “Baseball is like life,” says he and you will have to watch the play to hear his argument backing the claim. Eddie knows less about baseball and the classroom is in session.

With David Rosser as Eddie, in suit and tie and Stephen Sparks, playing Angel, the repartee between them flows with funny and philosophical, skillfully mixed. It is a very likeable exchange, always moving and interesting, while the two gentlemen keep up the choreography among the windows like punctuation to the words.

The play could not have been better cast, for Messrs Rosser and Sparks deliver consistently throughout: a not-so simple conversation, in an inconvenient location with, in fact, one person’s life theoretically on the line.

In an earlier interview, Mr. Rosser told the Citizen that, during the last lockdown, which shut rehearsals down, he and Stephen Sparks met from time to time, keeping their distance, on his porch and continued to work.

This play is not entirely a two-hander, for Jeffrey Wetsch as Earl, comes in late in the day, with his own spin about matters. Yet, the spin goes on and we are left with as many – different – questions to ponder as we began.

This is the second of the proposed three, reduced to two, plays (the third was a planned musical, made impossible by the protocols and restrictions imposed by COVID-19). The two plays, first of which was The Rules of Playing Risk by Kristen da Silva, an endearing one act play that, given further delays to rehearsal of The Third Life of Eddie Mann, was given a much longer run than was ever expected. Luckily, Risk was very well received and tickets continued to sell until the run’s end.

The two plays were referred to as hybrids: a combination of filming while offering an experience as close to feeling like the theatre as filming could. This was achieved by the tremendous talent of videographer, Sara May. She used three cameras, a variety of angles in the approaches, numerous retakes during the filming and intense editing later.

The reception of Risk was overwhelming in the praise given for the success of the whole, from the story, to the acting, the set and, especially, the success of re-creating the thrill of live theatre.

Eddie Mann reaches the same levels of excellence in every regard and will reward viewers with an irresistible affection for the blighted Eddie and the eccentric Angel, not to leave out Earl coming in late. Don’t miss this chance to catch the show; if you enjoyed Risk, you will love this; if you did not, this is your chance to catch Theatre Orangeville leading the country in theatre innovation.

For all the details and tickets for The Third Life of Eddie Mann visit: www.theatreorangeville.ca.

Please remember to also check out tickets for the first opportunity to attend live theatre in 17 months, with Chase the Ace, written and starring Mark Crawford. Chase the Ace opens August 11 and runs until August 20. Details for all this and more are at the previously mentioned link to Theatre Orangeville’s website. You can, as well, call the delightful people in the Box Office at 519-942-3423.

(Inasmuch as Eddie Mann is a play about a man considering suicide, it behoves us to make serious note of the National Suicide Prevention telephone number: 1-833-456-4566)


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