LIGHTS! CAMERA! ODD JOBS? by Arthur MacKinnon (Arthur MacKinnon). At Annex Theatre. July 6 at 5:15 pm, July 7 at 8 pm, July 9 at 5:45 pm, July 11 at 3 pm, July 12 at 1:15 pm, July 13 at 4:45 pm. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Arthur MacKinnons solo show about the agonizing vicissitudes of an actors career feels fresh thanks to his capable storytelling skills.
After a stiff beginning, MacKinnon quickly draws us into his personal path to becoming an actor as he weaves sporadic successes together with the banal odd jobs he endured in order to persist. Using his obvious talent for voices, impressions and even stage magic, MacKinnon brings alive former teachers, fellow actors and weed-smoking colleagues. He doles out deadpan humour sparingly, eliciting roars of laughter and delight.
His narration at the beginning and the end slows the pace in an attempt to tie his themes together a bit too neatly but the show’s bookends ultimately do not detract from its surprisingly sophisticated core.
