A LOVER IMPROPER by Arianne Shaffer. Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace. July 3 at 8 pm, July 5 at 3:15 pm, July 6 at 8:15 pm, July 7 at 1 pm, July 9 at 9:45 pm. Buy tickets. Rating: NN
As affable as Arianna Shaffer is in her solo show, she doesn’t ratchet up the tension or humour in stories that could use a healthy dose of each.
Breaking up her monologue in four parts – body, sex, love and magic – the Toronto storyteller and writer describes her body image issues, her sexual awakening and her pain after a breakup.
But these pedestrian topics warrant a deeper analysis, and a more original take, than what Shaffer offers.
She glosses over some powerful material that could’ve been sources for deeper tension, such as an emotionally abusive relationship and her parents’ divorce. It’s evident those two crises affected her greatly, but they don’t get much more than a couple of sentences.
Also, referring to notes on a table is distracting and takes away from the immediacy of her stories. Still, she’s a talent to watch, and her potential to craft a compelling solo show is definitely on the horizon.
