Preview
SEE BOB RUN
Mob Hit Productions
Starring Tamara Hamilton
Written by Daniel MacIvor
Directed by Geoff Woods
Runs until June 12
Pumphouse Theatres
"When it’s real, it’s a lie. Only pretend is true." These are the words of Bob, the title character of See Bob Run – a young woman whose coping mechanism allows her to blur the line between fantasy and reality.
An early work by Daniel MacIvor (Monster, Cul-de-Sac), See Bob Run finds the Nova Scotia-bred playwright once again mixing his trademark sense of humour with dark subject matter – in this case, the cycle of sexual abuse. It is the story of one person’s journey, as she hitchhikes to an unknown destination that will hopefully provide shelter from her past.
Tamara Hamilton, currently a student at Studio 58 in Vancouver, is the young actor playing Bob in Mob Hit Productions’ revival of this popular one-woman play. Familiar with the physicality and subtlety of MacIvor’s other works, she sounds keen to perform a solo piece of this magnitude, and is looking forward to sharing her discoveries from this process.
"The (character’s dialect) is so specific, that it gives you clues as to who the character is," says Hamilton. The character of Bob is somebody that she describes as a very funny, strong and resilient woman who finds escape and solace in music.
"There’s definitely a style that (MacIvor) writes in – a rhythm," says Hamilton. "When we first started working on this piece, the director said ‘You’re articulating too much.’ I’ve had to work on that."
In this monologue, first produced in 1987 by MacIvor’s Toronto-based Da Da Kamera company, we are privy to Bob’s one-sided conversations with various drivers and we are witnesses to certain confessions when Bob directly addresses the audience. The latter scenes definitely contain a captivating energy, especially for a budding performer.
"You can really make a connection," says Hamilton. "With Bob, she’s really trying to get (the audience) on her side. She wants to make people understand and that’s exciting, because from an actor’s point of view, it makes my intention very clear."
Being the only person onstage, having all eyes and ears on you, can be more than a little nerve-wracking, but Hamilton finds positive aspects to play with. "It is very exciting to be able to look into another person’s face and see how they are reacting on the spot to something that I’m saying," she says.
Both that excitement and anxiety also managed to find their way into rehearsals, where Hamilton has been working with director Geoff Woods.
"(The exclusive attention) is really nice, especially because I’m just starting out. I can really get attention on the glitches in my process and that’s great," she says. But at the same time, she adds, "It can also be overwhelming when you are getting so much attention and it’s just you in the rehearsal hall." |
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