GET A DOG by Jonathan Kline (WiseGirls Productions/Toronto Fringe Festival). At the Robert Gill Theatre (214 College, 3rd floor). July 10 at 5:30 pm, July 12 at 6 pm, July 15 at 7:45 pm, July 16 at 3:15 pm, July 17 at 12:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NN
A 40-minute play about a wealthy woman seeking therapy has the potential to elicit some dark laughs; there’s a reason why we watch Succession, after all. But playwright Jonathan Kline can’t quite figure out what his show is about.
The confident, well-dressed Marwa (Fatma Naguib) strides into the office of therapist Alex (Andrew Pawarroo), repulsed by the place’s humble appearance, noisy location and lack of air conditioning. After some preliminary chitchat, she reveals she’s lost her desire – for money. And she wants to know how she can get it back.
It also turns out there’s a reason why she’s chosen Alex to be her therapist, and she seems more interested in digging up facts about his past (I won’t reveal any spoilers) than in offering up details about her own life. (One exception is Marwa’s recounting of a childhood memory; I wish there were more.)
What ensues is a contrived power struggle about two privileged people we never get to know or care about. There’s lots of opportunity for satire and social commentary – about the pursuit of wealth, male pride and entitlement – but neither Kline nor director Amanda Cordner decide to go there.
Of the two actors, Naguib offers the more compelling performance, commanding attention with her poise and nuanced line readings. She seems to understand what her character is all about, even if it’s not there in the script.
