Two men and a little bit of gun play

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/11/2011 (5388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two men, one gun, an empty room and a string of dead bodies behind them.

That’s the setup for Revolver 101, a new play from St. James-based Resonator Theatrical following its 4.5-star debut in 2010.

“I hope people walk away with questions about the characters and the situation on a whole,” said director Kim Hamilton.

“This will hopefully leave audiences second-guessing the plot and what was revealed on stage right in front of them.”

The original one-act play focuses on two main characters, Sam and Randall, as they discuss and unravel a hostage situation following a school shooting.

It’s a follow up to the theatre company’s Fringe Festival debut in 2010.

Last year’s performance of Taming of the Shrew earned rave reviews. It notched 4.5 stars from the Winnipeg Free Press and was called “bold” by CBC.

But the two plays can’t be compared, Hamilton said.

Revolver 101, in the works for the last two years, is meant to stand on its own, she said.

“There is absolutely no pressure to match Taming of the Shrew,” she said.

“It has hundreds of years of performance behind it, while Revolver 101 is brand new. From an acting side of things, I think it is fair to say Revolver 101 is a step up performance-wise.”

The play is something of a showcase for many fledgling faces in the Winnipeg’s theatre community.

Lacina Dembele, an Island Lakes resident and biochemistry student at the University of Manitoba and the Université de Saint-Boniface, takes the lead role of Randall beside play author Rob Brown, who wrote the piece in 1997.

Dembele, who usually fills small comedic roles, said he was drawn to the play for its intensity and to add a dramatic performance to his resume.

“The personality of the character I’m playing is very calm, very poised,” said the 19-year-old, noting it’s his first lead acting role.

“His mentality and the way he thinks, the way he speaks, it’s not a role I’ve played before.

“I want people to see this play and think about it after they’ve seen it.”

Staged readings of George Bernard Shaw’s How He Lied to Her Husband will be offered on select evenings. The performances will mark the stage debuts of actors Adrianne Winfield and Daniel Pop and a return to acting by Dennis Sinclair.

Revolver 101 runs Nov. 17 to 26 at 91 Albert St. in the Exchange District. Showtimes are at 7 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door. For more info call 219-8616 or see www.facebook/ResonatorTheatrical

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matt.preprost@canstarnews.com