NEWS ARCHIVES

Resurgence finds over the Moon winner

August 8, 2007 - by Sean Pearce, Staff Writer
The Era Banner, York Region Media Group

It seems like the theme for Resurgence Theatre Company this year is less is more.

First, there was the phenomenal Hamlet, which used a single, extremely talented actor, and now the York Shakespeare Festival injects some Canadian content with David French’s Salt-Water Moon..

The play takes place in Newfoundland in 1926 and centres around the love story of two young people, Jacob Mercer, who has just returned to the Rock to win back the heart of his former flame, Mary Snow.

Keeping with the less-is-more theme the play employs, there are two actors and a single act.

The play is an emotional roller-coaster with more ups and downs than your average elevator.

Tim Campbell’s Jacob is a mischievous character and quite the charmer. Mr. Campbell brings a great depth to the role and admirably navigates from both extremes of the character’s demeanour, depending on what’s required.

In a second, Mr. Campbell’s local boy can go from juvenile frivolity to righteously indignant adult on the verge of irrationality and anger.

His opposite, Ms Poole’s Mary Snow, is an equally complicated character and undoubtedly one of a special challenge to any actress. Throughout the play, she must continuously spurn and condemn Jacob, but loves him all the same. Her fevered attempts to restrain her true feelings are effective and Ms Poole emotes Mary’s internal division with subtlety and skill.

However, both performers should be commended, if, for nothing else, their ability to maintain their nearly consistent Maritimer accents throughout the show.

Overall, the play follows a plot that should be fairly familiar to anyone from theatre-goer to sitcom viewer to movie watcher and, simply put, it’s the age old, man messes up, woman gets mad, man tries to make amends and, well, woman gets madder. And it works.

Under David Ferry’s direction, the play takes on all the voyeuristic glee of watching the old married couple down the street squabble when, deep down inside, you know how much they truly love each other.

Even better, it’s funny. The play was written in 1985, but still holds up well. The arguments between Jacob and Mary make for funny fodder and there’s nothing quite like watching two young innocents discuss the meaning of the word "potent".

Another big plus is the chemistry between the two leads feels real, and it should, since Mr. Campbell and Ms Poole are engaged out here in the real world.

In summation, Resurgence’s Salt-Water Moon is a delightful show that offers big entertainment on a smaller scale and should leave the maritimer inside saying, "It be some good".

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