It’s human nature to avoid dealing with trauma. And big, life-changing turns often provide ideal opportunities to mask our wounds. In Unexpecting, a newly premiered stage play by Bronwyn Carradine, we see a couple deal with the fallout of their adoption plans going amiss. With their anticipated new life suddenly uncertain, they’re forced to deal with a haunting trauma they’ve never resolved. Unexpecting is an insightful and sensitive play told with humour by relatable and likeable characters. It’s also a breath of fresh air in the arsenal of queer stories in theatre.
Set in a downtown Vancouver loft-style apartment (presumably in Yaletown), the story is about Jo (Jessica Heafey) and Annie’s (Rahat Saini) pursuit of parenthood. Jo in an artist and Annie is on track for a tenure position at a university—although she misses her days as a writer, which included getting two of her novels published. The couple are expecting a child through an adoption. The biological mother, whom they’ve never met, is due very soon. But during the last phase before the child’s birth, tension arises between the couple when Annie’s best friend Pam (Melissa Oei) arrives back from LA. Pam offers Annie an opportunity that appeals to Annie’s love for writing, but would also shake up Annie and Jo’s life. In reaction, Jo does something she believes will support Annie and their expectant family, only to expose unhealed wounds.
From start to finish, Unexpecting is engaging and unpredictable, leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat. The characters all offer relatability in different ways—Annie for her genuine emotive behaviour, and Jo for her dedication to do whatever it takes to support Annie. Pam is a comic relief character, and Oei masterfully plays the comedy out. But she’s also a devoted friend, and her loyalty and kindness represent the huge role friends can play in chosen families. And one can’t help feeling empathetic and understanding of expectant mother Sawyer’s (Elizabeth Barrett) journey.
From left to right: Melissa Oei, Saini, and Elizabeth Barrett. Photo credit: Tina Krueger Kulic
The dynamics in Heafey and Saini’s onstage relationship is very believable. Both of them are always trying to look at the big picture, but in different ways. Saini’s persona is free-spirited at times—watch her fly around the apartment as she gets ready for her job interview that’s scheduled in 30 minutes, or hastily makes big decisions—but beneath this, she’s subtle in expressing her deep emotions. Contrast this to Heafey’s Jo, who’s literal and operates on clarity in the moment. One can see how these two communication styles can both complement and pull on a relationship.
Oei’s comedy isn’t humour for the sake of getting laughs. Everything she says and does comes from a genuine place, making us consider her insight just as much as the characters onstage. Barrett does a great job of portraying Sawyer in a hyper-emotional state, while staying in control of delivering her dialogue and not letting emotions take over.
The seriousness of the play’s subject matter is wonderfully balanced by humour, and under Cameron Mackenzie’s direction, both sides are given a fitting amount of focus. Serious moments are approached with sensitivity, and funny moments—a highlight is a section involving Heafey and Oei as they attempt to quickly clean up the apartment before Sawyer’s arrival—are done with great comedic timing.
Lachlin Johnston’s set design is outstanding. Johnston has transformed the Studio 16 stage into a stylish, contemporary, multi-level apartment. From the furniture and décor choices, to the layout that makes excellent use of the space, the effort and artistry that has gone into bringing Annie and Jo’s apartment to life is incredible. Little details such as automated candles that add ambience, and Jo’s paintbrushes lying in the kitchen, emphasize the thought that has gone into Johnston’s work, which is nicely complimented by Sophie Tang’s lighting. Together, Johnston and Tang have also inventively found a way to allow for a restaurant scene without the need for a set change. The music choice in between scenes, a playlist of Lo-Fi beats, adds to the appealing, contemporary lens of this show.
Oei and Saini. Photo credit: Tina Kruger Kulic
There were a few minor instances in the show that struck me as unrealistic. For example, when Annie arrives at the restaurant to meet Pam, she comments on the bottle of wine already cracked open. It’s common knowledge that all bottled drinks, including wine, are served uncapped or uncorked in public places. At another point, Annie arrives home and comments that the library was closed. As this scene takes place during the daytime, it would be unusual for the library to be closed, especially since she’s presumably referencing the Vancouver Central Library.
However, these minor flaws are greatly overshadowed by not only the engaging cast performances and story, but also some additional onstage pleasantries that nicely add to the viewing experience. For example, we get to see a pour over coffee made in front of us, and I’m pretty sure I got a little hit of the aroma of fresh coffee from where I was sitting—either that, or the whole process was so believable that I imagined it. And the way Annie and Pam described and enjoyed their wine made me feel like I could taste it. Little details like these helped to further draw me into the story.
As a queer person myself, one of the things I loved about this show is that it tells a queer story, but not in a depressing way. There’s been a lot of queer stories told onstage, and I feel there’s been too much emphasis on really heavy, sad stories that make you leave the theatre really upset and angry. I’m not discounting that type of work; I’m commending Unexpecting for taking a unique approach. It nails the bittersweet nature of relationships and life. It also doesn’t rely on playing out queer stereotypes. This work stands on its own. Beyond all of this, Unexpecting’s overarching messaging about the common inability to fully deal with trauma is told believably and very well. While you may not expect the story to unfold the way it does, you can definitely expect excellent, relevant, and uplifting storytelling in Unexpecting.
Unexpecting, a play by Bronwyn Carradine and directed by Cameron Mackenzie, presented by Zee Zee Theatre Company, continues to run at Studio 16 in Vancouver until May 21. Visit the Zee Zee Theatre Company site for more information.