10-22-21 The Shape of a Girl
I worked on my volunteer duties all day today to get them out of the way as the board meeting approaches at the same rapid speed as year end and I needed to get it off my list. I then ripped over to my gal at the salon for the waxing upkeep before heading home to make some dinner
Tonight is the night. Opening night for The Shape of a Girl by Joan Macleod at Cranbrook Community Theatre directed by Amy Penney. This evenings performance was presented by Cheyenne Kneller, a 15 year old actor from our local high school. She shares the role with Jelena Jenson on alternating nights. I look forward to seeing Jelena next week. I purposely did not read the script as I did know it would trigger me. It is inspired by the events of the swarming and murder of 14 year old Reena Virk in 1997 under the Craigflower bridge in Victoria. I remember clearly when this occurred and found myself only two years later at the age of 39 in the place where she died. It was overwhelming as I was in rehab working through my own PTSD from bullying and being a suicidal 16 year old. I will say that I was not sure I should see this show, that it may trigger me. I wasn’t wrong. One of the producers sat down beside me just as the show was about to start and when the Director came out to give the land entitlement recognition she also gave a beautiful tribute to Peter and I for the work that we have done on the renovation to make this show possible. I turned to Elizabeth and said ‘damn, I didn’t bring Kleenex’. she promptly handed me one and i wiped away the first of my tears for the evening. Young Cheyenne did a wonderful job, given her youth and inexperience. I could see the great work Amy had done with her. I was not entirely lost in the show but found myself noting markers that were true and touching to me. It wasn’t until after the curtain call that I found myself ‘leaking’. I had to stay in my seat and go through all the feels. I made a point to connect with Amy to go for a drink after and talk. I am glad I did for many reasons, not the least of which that she should not have just gone home on opening night without some celebration of what she made happen. We had good talks, Director to Director and then Producer to Producer as we are to the next two shows. The show left me feeling deeply my connection with bullying, from both sides. The references to the lower mainland, to jumping off bridges, which I had wanted to do when I was 16, to being treated as less than, the butt of jokes, to lashing out at others in response, left me raw. The discussion of where we go with the next shows and the acknowledgment that things are different in community theatre compared to professional and how to adjust, filled my tank back up. I am grateful we made the time. There were things that could have been better but over all the show was a success. The writing is prose, the timing is critical and I look forward to seeing how Jelena interprets it. It is not light entertainment but it is a mirror that many should look into.
I was gifted with a journal and a beautiful card signed by the cast and crew that made me laugh and cry in the same breath. I feel blessed by the experience and am grateful I spent myself to help make it happen.
Should you be interested in seeing it please go to cranbrookcommunity theatre.com for streaming and on demand options. It is a powerful experience running through to next weekend.
triumphgal 