THE COMPLEX: A TORONTO TALE written and directed by Jack Grinhaus (Bound to Create). At Walmer Centre (188 Lowther). July 1, 6, 9 and 11 at 5 pm, July 3 and 7 at 7 pm, July 2, 8, and 10 at 9 pm, July 4 at 3 pm.
What does it mean to be a Torontonian these days?[rssbreak]
That was the starting point for writer/director Jack Grinhaus, whose play The Complex: A Toronto Tale, began when he asked people from various backgrounds what they thought they shared – or didn’t share – with other T.O. residents.
“What people kept mentioning was the tension and stress they felt, which ironically both separated them from and linked them to others,” says Grinhaus, an actor and MFA grad from York who’s assisted directors Morris Panych and Sarah Stanley.
The play, constructed as an allegory, takes place in an apartment building on Canada Day, a holiday that turns out to be more traumatic than it should be. Grinhaus plays with time, rewinding the narrative to show us a scene from different viewpoints, and also puns on the work’s title.
“We meet the people in four of the apartments, each representing a different psychological complex that’s part of our city’s makeup.”
In order to explore the metaphor more deeply, Grinhaus has worked with his performers to combine movement and gesture with the text.
“An audience is affected by more than a production’s words. I’ve told my actors that if they can show me by their physical work that they can make the point of the lines,” he says, “I’ll cut the text and let them communicate through what they do.
“My view isn’t a dark one,” Grinhaus concludes. “I love my city and want to hear what others think about it, too. I hope The Complex opens up a dialogue.”
