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Culture Stage

Fringe Review: A Good Death

A GOOD DEATH by Shelley M. Hobbs. Tarragon Extra Space. July 2 at 7:15 pm, July 4 at 4:45 pm, July 5 at 8 pm, July 6 at 3:45 pm, July 8 at 5:45 pm, July 10 at 2 pm. Buy tickets. Rating: NNN


This emotional dramatic two-hander explores two important political issues currently playing out across the country: LGBT family rights and euthanasia.

The didactic plot depicts a power struggle over the long-term care of a queer woman left comatose after a tragic accident. On one side, there’s her lesbian companion and roommate (Laura Schutt) who has power of attorney, on the other is her estranged Christian mother (Tracey Ferencz) who rejects her daughter’s life choices and attempts to push her own ideas about what is best. The heartbreaking story is a largely a vehicle for contrasting differing worldviews – everything from what constitutes “family”  to the role of homeopathy and prayer in modern healthcare – and at times this means the dialogue sacrifices naturalism in favour of clunky exposition.

Some elements come off a little cheesy in an after school special kind of way, especially prerecorded dreamlike dialogue during scene changes. But the thorough discussion of these critical issues make these relatively minor quibbles.

Pack some tissues for this one.

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