Never Swim Alone in YQR

My theme today is a play. Not just any play, a riveting performance of a Canadian play called “Never Swim Alone”, and yes, there is a food component, this is me after all. I saw the performance last night, presented by The Golden Apple Theatre at a cool little intimate venue called Artesian on 13th. Now, I have been involved in this production - peripherally  anyway - because I was tapped to make the sweet treats for the Opening Night Reception. I capitalized that because it was a fabulous performance, followed by an equally enjoyable reception.
First, here is a pic of the actual set (sorry about the quality, it’s a theater, it’s dark)



































Now, if you know me, you know I have to go over the top with everything I bake, but first let me talk about the play. I’ll get to the food, I promise, just bear with me for a minute or two.

Never Swim Alone is a riveting, rollicking roller coaster and since swimming is the theme, I recommend you wait an hour after eating to see it. The three performers; Jacqueline Burtney who plays the referee; Kenn McLeod, who plays Bill and Zach Smadu, who plays Frank; are nothing short of genius. I don’t know anything about acting. The last time I was on a stage was the 7th grade fortunately for everyone, but even I know that this piece had to be a challenge to pull off as effectively as they managed it. Bill and Frank have difficult roles, in which they practically do a duet in parts and a ballet in others. They play off of each other so effectively that you will find yourself loving as well as hating each of them throughout - hence the rollercoaster reference. The director; Mark Claxton created a powerful presentation, made even more compelling by the set and the venue.

You see, Bill and Frank have known each other since childhood and while extremely competitive with each other they also share quite a few similar personality traits. Bill (team blue) and Frank (team red) know exactly how to push each other’s buttons to inflict the most pain. And inflict upon each other they do, in ever increasing increments until…well, I won’t give away the “until” part. That would be an awful spoiler for those who plan to attend.

Now, lest you think it’s simply a depressing play about the human condition, it’s not. It is, in fact about being human though. It’s hilariously funny in parts, infuriating in others and yes, there is an element of pain wherein the actors created such empathy that I could not prevent tears from sliding down my face. But overall, isn’t that life? We make mistakes that can have haunting consequences, we have character flaws that follow us throughout our trials and triumphs and all the while, there is inevitably someone who knows your secrets and someone around to say “I told you so”.

I can’t wait to see this play again, and yes, you will probably want to, since it clips along at a million miles an hour. I still haven’t decided if I’m #TeamBlue or #TeamRed, since my opinion vacillated throughout the hour!

The reception afterward was nearly as good because I was delighted to be able to chat with the actors and director. They are all funny, engaging and approachable and I loved hearing their take on the play, the performance and the challenges leading up to such a fantastic show. When you go, don't miss the opportunity to head downstairs to the lounge and take advantage of the availability of the cast and crew. You won't be disappointed.

I can’t tell you how proud I am to even have played a very small role (see what I did there?) in supporting the production of this play. It’s the kind of theater experience that is surprising to find in a small town on the prairies and even more surprising to me is the level of talent and accomplishment so clearly evident in this performance, especially since all the performers and the director are home town Regina folks. So my bad, I need to rethink that big city notion of the prairies. Talent flourishes here but we need to keep Regina as a fertile ground for it to remain rooted.
OK, now on to the food. This is my version of the play on a small plate!



























The cake was 3 layers of fudge brownie, with cream cheese frosting and a raspberry mousse filling. The chocolate domes were the same fillings minus the cream cheese frosting.  I modeled the actors using fondant and gum paste, trying to capture their expressions along with, of course, the blue and red ties - #TeamBlue and #TeamRed.



























If you live in Regina, you really need to see the play. You can buy tickets online through the Golden Apple website - or drop me a line and I’ll hook you up. I will be there again on Saturday night, come say hello and sit next to me!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled food blog!