Espresso Theatre offers a shot of reality
‘The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine’ opens Wednesday
“Iwant to see more live theatre in Lethbridge,” says director Andrew Legg.
While the city has grown, opportunities to experience new dramas and comedies have not.
And “there’s so much new writing coming out,” he adds.
That’s why Legg and some colleagues launched Espresso Theatre Company. It began with some “house” performances last year.
But now Espresso has moved downtown to present an edgy comedy that might cut close to home for some viewers. “The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine” chronicles the downhill slide that followed a young couple’s decision to marry.
The show, a collaboration between Espresso and the Fine Arts faculty at the University of Lethbridge, runs Wednesday through Sunday.
“We watch as they deepen their love through the first blushing moments, to moving into their cramped basement suite,” Legg says.
Then, the realities of living together become only too apparent. Frustration leads to anger. And then, to petulant outbursts. “Soon their passions are expressed with slamming doors, ripping up books and the occasional gun.”
Originally written and performed in Toronto by theatre collaborators Leah Cherniak, Martha Ross and Robert Morgan, the show has been widely presented across Canada and beyond. Last summer, it was featured at the Edmonton Fringe Festival.
Legg, who’s also a drama instructor at the U of L, says it’s a show he’s long wanted to direct. “I was searching for the right cast.” That is, until he bumped into Jocelyn Haub. She and her partner Devon Brayne had just returned to Lethbridge after a season performing on Disney cruise ships in the Caribbean. They accepted the challenge. “So it’s a great time to do this,” Legg says. Southern Albertans are looking for a laugh after an unusually long winter, he says.
And space was available in the university’s Foster Penny Building downtown, for rehearsal as well as performances.
Like the drink, Legg says, Espresso hopes to offer small but strong shots of reality. While Lethbridge audiences enjoy a wide range of musical events and comedies, they’re offered just a handful of more thought-provoking works apart from student presentations at the U of L. “We want to do small stories with a punch.” This one is an example. It’s about “actually committing to life with another person,” whatever that brings.
“The Anger of Ernest and Ernestine” is scheduled for 8 p.m. performances, Wednesday through Sunday, plus a 2 p.m. matinee on March 10. Tickets are available online at ulethbridge.ca/tickets or by phone at 403-329-2616 as well as in person from the Foster Penny front desk, 324 5 St. S., from 12:30 to 5 p.m. weekdays.