By Mike Archer. Gallery 7’s Executive/Artistic Director Ken Hildebrandt describes his theatre company’s current offering, ‘Having Hope at Home’ as an opportunity to take a few risks.
The risks are well worth the effort as a sublime cast is artfully managed by Director Becky MacDormand.
A complicated tale of home-birth, an impromptu wedding, the conflict between parents and children and even a touch of good old Canadian French-English conflict all combine to make for a delicious farce.
But woven carefully throughout the story are some deep and painful truths about fathers and sons; mothers and daughters; the pain of growing old and the endless difficulties of getting along in a family.
The habit of telling lies because it hurts less than telling the truth becomes both a hilarious comical devise but it draws its share tears during a performance which provides a real emotional roller coaster ride the audience.
The various balancing acts of conflicting emotions and sometimes difficult messages would be difficult to pull off without the tender relationships that are allowed to develop between actors and audience when they are allowed to get to know one another the way MacDormand allows her actors to get to know their audience.
The frustrations, anger, conflict as well as the friendships, respect and sometimes love which can develop between even the most fractious families are all explored in this Canadian treasure.
And it takes is a perfectly wrapped brand new baby to bring it all together.
Well worth the fair.
Having Hope at Home will run January 24 & 25, 30 – Feb. 1 and February 6 – 8, 2014 @ 7:30 PM with discount matinees January 25, Feb. 1 & 8 @ 2:00 PM at the MEI Auditorium, 4081 Clearbrook Road, Abbotsford. Tickets for evening performances are $20 Adults, $18 Seniors & Students, $17 Groups (8+), $12 Children (12 & under) and $15 General and $12 Children for matinees. Tickets can be purchased at House of James, 2743 Emerson Street, Abbotsford (1-800-665-8828 or 604-852-3701) or online at www.gallery7theatre.com. For a preview please click here.
PHOTO CAPTION:
(left to right) Philip Dyck, Carissa Boynton, John Dawson, Colleen Plenert, Sinziana Corozel and Larry Hamm perform in Gallery 7 Theatre’s production of Having Hope at Home. Photo by Dianna Lewis, Creative Memory Studios.