Fear has a way of stripping us down to our true selves, and it’s not always pretty. And while our ugly sides can surface, so too can virtues such as bravery, empathy, and teamwork. In short – the worst and best of us can come to light; and this message sang through in Stone’s Throw Production’s recent staging of Wolves Are Coming For You, a play written by Joel Horwood.
Directed by Larisse Campbell, this show was an intimate, up-close-and-personal experience that convincingly transported me to a small town shook by the speculation of wolves in its midst. Three brilliantly talented performers took to an open set with minimal props and delivered a compelling and storytelling experience.
From left to right: Fiona Jenkins, Jennie Bissell, and Mathilde Shisko. Photo credit: Javier Sotres Porres.
Shortly after actors Jennie Bissell, Fiona Jenkins, and Mathilde Shisko took the stage, they introduced the various characters in the story, offering a short explanation of each character and revealing which actor would play who. This explanation proved to be very useful, as it really helped me remember who the characters were as they popped up during the performance.
One of these characters was Anna, a woman returning home to her family’s farm, now run solely by her mother Bea. Anna is intent on telling Bea that she doesn’t want to take over the farm. But when she arrives, Anna doesn’t even get a chance to speak on the subject, as Bea is shaken up from believing she’s seen a wolf on the property. Thinking her mother is seeing things, Anna fears for Bea’s mental wellbeing. With both women on edge, emotions heighten and pent-up issues uninvitingly emerge.
Jennie Bissell. Photo credit: Javier Sotres Porres.
As we move from scene to scene, more townspeople are integrated into the plot. These characters include: Dee and Chris, a mature couple whose relationship has turned monotonous; teenage Ellen who wishes to flee town; Ellen’s uptight mother Grace; hermit Ferdy; and sheriff Harry, who tries his best to listen to sound logic while chaos ensues.
The ability of the three actors to continually switch from one character to the next, sometimes in the matter of seconds, is incredible. Jennie Bissell demonstrated outstanding dialogue delivery, made possible by first-rate vocal projection, breath control, and enunciation. She is clearly a well-trained actor and has a wonderful voice; even when she was howling like a wolf her tonality was pleasantly musical.
Bissell fully dived into each character, and among the many she played, my favourite to watch was Grace, who turns into the ultimate Karen. Bissell was also interesting as Dee, the disheartened wife of town minister Chris, who struggled with coming to terms with how their relationship had evolved.
Fiona Jenkins and Bissell. Photo credit: Javier Sotres Porres.
Bissell’s Dee played wonderfully off Fiona Jenkin’s Chris, whose stoic stature and well-measured vocal delivery made her very believable. A tender moment between Dee and Chris highlighted how convincing this cast was in their multiple roles. Jenkins was also delightful to watch as Harry, again using her strong sense of physicality to bring this character to life. With her arms folded, and wide, planted stance, I felt like I was truly seeing Harry onstage; much like how I was also completely convinced by Jenkin’s awkward, chatty teenage Ellen.
Mathilde Shisko showed a foreboding quality as Ferdy when hunched over in silence as Ellen jabbered on. But when Shisko spoke as Ferdy, she exuded a kind, caring, wise quality, capturing the essence of the character. As Bea, Shisko’s hysteria appropriately demonstrated the character’s struggle with dementia; and this fearful hysteria also fittingly set the tone for the show.
Another acting moment that I found quite enjoyable was Bissell’s turn as the community centre’s bubbly line-dance teacher in the opening scene of the second act. Bissell really shone in this scene and the next, immediately reverting to the over-the-top malicious Grace after her bubbly line dancing; and then to the emotional Dee shortly after.
The actors broke the fourth wall right from the start of the show, speaking to the audience directly as they set the premise and introduced the characters. Throughout the show, there were moments when the audience was called upon to participate. And while I’m not usually a fan of audience participation, these were unintimidating opportunities, such as suggesting a name for the town pub; lending a pen to be used onstage; and serving as townspeople during a muster station role call. All of this added a clever, fun touch to the show.
Bissell and Mathilde Shisko. Photo credit: Javier Sotres Porres.
With the audience sitting on both sides of the Pacific Theatre’s floor-level stage (in front and behind the stage), the setup was appropriately intimate. Director Campbell did an excellent job staging the actors, providing equal time playing to both sides of the audience, and avoiding cutting parts of the audience off as much as possible.
Roohi Kamal’s set of a raised platform with leaves and woods debris (sprinkled around the perimetre of the stage by the actors at the start of the show) gave off a mysterious, forest feel, with lots of free space for the actors to move around. Christian Ching’s lighting design helped establish the different locales throughout the show, which was very welcome given the minimal set. Tyler Dumoulin’s sound design helped establish locale as well, and also added a filter of eeriness and mystery to the show, including sound effects of wolf howling and nighttime woods noises.
At first glance, Wolves are Coming for you may seem like a simple show, given the small cast and minimal production elements. But this is an undoubtedly sophisticated and intricate show, and only a highly skilled and detail-oriented creative team and cast can pull it off well. Stone’s Throw Productions did just that, producing a wonderfully engaging and entertaining theatrical experience.
Stone’s Throw Productions’ Wolves Are Coming For You ran at Pacific Theatre from June 23 - 26, 2022.