>>PREVIEW
NEVER SWIM ALONE
Go See a Play
Runs until June 18
Studio (Grand)
We all know the guy, or at least we’ve seen him from a distance. He drives a flashy car, has a nice haircut and his every movement screams, "I make more money than you do!" He appears friendly to the casual observer, but just like a strange dog, his outward appearance may belie what’s hidden beneath.
"I could see someone seeing this play and the next day walking through downtown Calgary thinking twice about the sharp-dressed man with a slick haircut," says director Jordan Schartner, of Go See a Play’s new production, Never Swim Alone. "Maybe he’s a sociopath – or maybe he’s a really good family man and not successful at business. Maybe he’s got an absolutely enthralling story that I would have otherwise just brushed off, stereotyping him with everyone else wearing a suit."
Never Swim Alone relies on sharp dialogue and stylized presentation to tell the story of two boyhood friends, Frank and Bill, who have come together, whether they know it or not, to resolve a tragic incident from their past. Divided into 13 rounds, this one-act metaphorical boxing match is refereed by a mysterious woman in a bathing suit, whose presence is linked to both men.
"While this competition is going on, they take pot shots at each other. There’s a lot of comedy that comes out of that," says Schartner. "It starts out fairly light, then gets a little bit more malicious as the story goes on and even haunting when we start hearing the referee’s story from her childhood. By the end it is quite dark, even brutal."
Matches between the two range from the basic (who can give better advice) to the ridiculous (who can fall over dead the best) to the saddest (who has the bigger penis).
"They are things that guys would compete on. Not necessarily on a conscious level all the time – sometimes it goes in between conscious and sort of subconscious – but it all boils down to sexuality, the pressure that North American society puts on men to be the ideal mate," Schartner says.
As the competition begins, Frank and Bill appear to be alike in nature, but as we learn more about each man (through his "victory speeches") the differences between them become glaring. The more aggressive Frank succeeds at business, while Bill tends to be more sensitive and a better family man. While these two characteristics seem to be in conflict, Bill and Frank maintain an outward friendship.
"When you think of the word ‘friend,’ initially it sparks positive connotations," says Schartner. "Hanging out, good times, laughing – doing stuff together, being there for one another. But there’s also a lot of competition and manipulation that goes on with friends. If you look at the way these guys behave in this play, I don’t think that what they have is the definition of friendship. They do things together, they talk about other friends that they have, but they’re quite mean-spirited towards each other. As soon as competition becomes a factor, their relationship becomes superficial.
"Ultimately, this play isn’t about choosing a winner. It’s about looking beyond appearances and finding balance between what we want, and what others need from us." |
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