Reviews of “Redemption” and “Big Sister”
Reviewed by Laura Anne Harris
Photos by Vancouver Fringe
“Redemption” by playwright James Walter Charleston is a solo show performed by Jim Sea. The piece focuses on three main characters: a prisoner who has been convicted of sexual assault, a southern lawyer who puts prisoners into reform therapy programs, and a therapist who works with prisoners to reform their behaviour.
The topic is ripe for drama, exploring a sexual assault through the lens of its perpetrator. A novel approach, one that allows for the exploration of empathy in surprising ways. In one particularly powerful scene, the prisoner confronts his childhood abuser in a therapy session. Sea’s emotional capacity as a performer is on full display here, as he collapses to the floor, weeping.
There were some problematic elements, however. The lack of the victim’s perspective felt like a dated omission. Further, much of the show relied on costume and prop changes for Sea to play the different characters. The character changes were underscored by a visual projection. This was a somewhat clunky and time-consuming approach, which distracted the audience from the performance. Most notably, the decision to have white, male Sea perform the character of the black, female therapist, was jarring and potentially alienating for the audience.
Throughout the performance, incarceration statistics were projected onto a screen. One particular statistic really stood out: the incredibly low incarceration rate of assaulters. Given the play is about an assaulter who is now in prison for his crime, it would have been powerful to explore this irony.
Next up, Deborah Vogt’s “Big Sister,” a show so Fringe-y it ought to be in a category all to itself: sisters writing for sisters. The premise is wonderfully refreshing: playwright Deborah writes a play about her sister Naomi’s struggle with weight loss, which Naomi then performs. At times Naomi is on script, but other times she improvises to redefine or clarify her actual experience. 
What results is an authentic, vulnerable performance that was deeply moving. The performance unfolds as a conversation between sisters, and between playwright and performer, allowing for an exploration of the delicate balance of affection and resentment that is at the heart of many sibling relationships. My only quibble with the performance was the use of set design. Two large clotheslines, laden with pictures and props, dominate the space, but are scarcely ingrained into the show. A better use of space, or a less-cluttered set piece, could really elevate this performance. But don’t let that small note dissuade you, the show is well-worth checking out.
Laura Anne Harris is an internationally-renowned solo performer, director and playwright. Her solo show, Pitch Blonde has toured across North America and most recently at the Ware Center in Lancaster, PA, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Her first full length play Red/Rouge premiered at the IF Theatre Festival in Bangkok, Thailand. She has contributed as a reviewer/interviewer with The Seventh Row and My Entertainment World. She is currently a Creative Writing Masters Candidate at the University of British Columbia.