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SummerWorks review: Crossing Into Lullaby

CROSSING INTO LULLABY by Dian Marie Bridge (Good Walk/SummerWorks). At the Theatre Centre BMO Incubator. Aug 10 at 6 pm, Aug 11 at noon. See listing. Rating: NNNN

Written, performed and directed by Dian Marie Bridge, this show part of the SummerWorks Lab series is an early draft of what is sure to become a moving tale of memory and identity.

Through songs, storytelling and voice recordings, Bridge shows us the story of her twin sisters mysterious illness and how, in her desperation, their mother finally accepted the explanation and advice of a witch doctor.

The two-hander features both Bridge and Tuku Matthews who begin as the twins speaking in unison, each holding one end of a white sheet that binds them, evoking an umbilical cord but also setting up the work’s central themes: What binds us, what do we cling to, and how do we let go when we need to?

In one especially powerful scene, Bridge cradles a white sheet to represent her dying twin, which unravels as the ghost of their grandmother pulls at it. At the last minute Bridge yanks back, and the ensuing tug of war represents the deeper tension within the script with Bridge’s struggle to escape the hold that her history has over her.

The story is ostensibly about the sisters illness but is more precisely about how the stories surrounding her sister continue to haunt Bridge. The episodic scene structure and repetitive dialogue needs to be finessed for future productions, but they’re effective techniques for capturing the ways memories echo in our minds.

The audience, aided by lyrics projected onto the back wall, is encouraged to join in the lullabies. The results are inconsistent sometimes the audience participates more than others. But when it works the experience of singing along feels surprisingly poignant.

Bridge begins with a brief explanation of the story and how it relates to her life, and I wanted her to return to that question to add more depth. The story of her sister is undeniably powerful, but Bridge needs to show more clearly the effect it still holds for her.

The piece is a work in progress, and the nuances of timing and dialogue are still unpolished. But there is such an undeniably compelling story at the core that I didnt want it to end.

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