Sock ’n’ Buskin’s production of David Ives’ All in the Timing, was a fitting choice of play considering the COVID-19 pandemic, but the show did not adapt well to the virtual format.
The series of seven one-act plays centre around the themes of love languages and how people interact with one another—themes that are fitting in a time when our interactions look and feel drastically different than ever before.
Connection and feedback with the audience is an essential part of live theatre that we are all missing in this virtual era. Unfortunately, this element, as well as fast-paced dialogue and quick timing, are fundamental to All in the Timing, making it a difficult choice for a virtual performance.
There are bound to be some inevitably awkward moments when performing in a virtual format, and I applaud directors Jake Nevins and Seth Thompson for taking on this tall order. However, the show—running nearly two hours long—would prove to be almost impossible to follow for an audience member who has no familiarity with Ives’ work or this play in particular.
A few of the short plays stood out amongst the group as a result of a strong commitment by the actors as well as a few key production elements that set them apart. Sure Thing, with its quirky back and forth dialogue, was well-executed by Nat Habib and Micheal Evans, who portrayed the awkward couple destined to start their conversation over and over and over again.
The cast even managed to get in a few digs at the University of Ottawa and Quebec in a clever rewrite of the original script.
In English Made Simple, the crew chose to use a video game backdrop that leaned into the virtual format of the play and modernized it in a refreshing way. In Variations on the Death of Trotsky, this individuality was achieved through the use of props, including sock puppet characters. The production team did remarkably well considering the task at hand, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the performance.
While some of the plays were well-adapted and suited to the online environment, most weren’t.
Alterations made to the original script only created more confusion, such as one scene taking place in a Zoom meeting. This play was meant to be performed in front of a live audience, and while I admire the efforts to adapt it into the virtual format, the elements that make this play great were lost in the process.
The play was too chaotic for my taste and I found myself struggling to keep up throughout the performance. A few of the short plays could have been removed in order to shorten the overall length of the production and highlight those that worked best in this virtual format.
Featured image provided by Sock ‘n’ Buskin.
