Far from common
A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women
by Andrew Moodie
directed by Diane Roberts
with Quincy Armorer, Chimwemwe Miller, Omari Newton, and Lindsay Owen Pierre
Black Theatre Workshop/Montréal, arts interculturels
The multitude of problems surrounding relations between the sexes is a topic that will never go out of fashion—or likely ever be resolved. In the Black Theatre Workshop season opener, A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women, it's seen through the perspective of young black Canadian males, with the hard-hitting themes wrapped in comedy. But watch out, even though you'll be laughing, you might learn something.
In an extended run at MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels), the play from Toronto-based Andrew Moodie combines a sharp and funny script with a great ensemble cast of young actors—on stage, the quartet click like lifelong friends. Under the inventive and crackling direction of Diane Roberts all the elements were there, and it made for a memorable night.
As the play begins, we jump right into the action. We're in Toronto. Four young men are getting together at an apartment for a stag party, deciding what to do, when future married guy Chris (Lindsay Owen Pierre) gets a call from his fiancee, who then dumps him.
Trying to find an upside to his dashed marriage plans, Chris says with sudden joy, "You know what I just realized? I will never have to see another play again!"
There's a myriad of great lines between the guys—the jokes and digs friends make at each other—delivered with a loose, improvisatory feel that conceals the precision of Moodie's writing.
Omari Newton as Greg is the lighthearted player of the bunch, bringing everyone back to their senses when they go too far. Calm, reserved, and married Robin (Chimwemwe Miller) tries to console Chris, telling him that black women are too much of a problem to be involved with. "But didn't you marry a black woman?", says Chris, to which Robin begins mock-crying. Newton jumps to Robin's aid, shifting into patois and scolding Chris with, "look what you gwaan did an' done!"
The phone keeps ringing throughout the ensuing mess: stern and driven Wendle (Quincy Armorer), the flashiest member of the quartet, is yelling into the phone. He's just discovered he is being charged with rape. The revelation of this, and the subtlety of the shift from comedy to drama—all the while retaining the play's warmth and compassion—was most effective and moving.
What will happen to Wendle? Newly-single Chris is also a lawyer, and could come to his friend's aid, but not everyone is sure about Wendle's story of the "alleged rape".
Little touches from Roberts and the cast work brilliantly: at one point while talking to Chris, Robin paces the apartment, shooting a ball at the hoop in the living room and missing, convincingly, every time. It bounces off the backboard, nicks the side of the net, or rolls slowly along the rim before falling out. The audience is cracking up by this point: attentions divided between the dialogue and the Miller's performance. As their argument between the two reaches a climax, the ball is passed to Chris, who leaps from his chair and nails the hoop from 15 feet—all net.
"It's one of the most energetic performances of the play I've seen," said Moodie, who attended opening night. No feint praise from the writer who played the Robin character himself in the original Toronto production.
In the wake of BTW struggles with a change of address and past financial difficulties, their staging of this self-described "urban(e) comedy" has the company off to a promising new start.
A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women has been held over to Sunday, December 15th.
MAI, 3680 Jeanne-Mance St.
Wednesday to Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 3:30 pm.
Tickets: Adults $20; Acces-Montreal $18
Students, Seniors, Professional Artists $15
Groups (pre-sale only) $12
A Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) production, presented in association with MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels).
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