Would life be better without your spouse? Lunchbox Theatre answered this question for one couple, Pam and Allan, at the theatre’s production of the musical “If I Weren’t With You”, presented April 19th at 6:10pm.
Yes, I said 6:10PM, as in the evening! Besides offering lunchtime performances, as the name indicates, you can catch their shows on Friday and Saturday evenings. Lunchtime performances are at 12:10pm Monday through Saturday. Bring your own lunch and chow down as you are enjoying your moment of escapism. Alternatively, pre-order a lunch and it will be waiting for you when you arrive. It is convenient, currently only $10 and we all know food tastes better if you don’t have to make it yourself.
Friday offerings are referred to as Happy Hour and are a perfect segue into the weekend. Saturday shows begin at 7:30pm - make it a “date night” by adding on a fabulous 3-course dinner at the Marriott Exchange Lounge to enjoy prior to show time. They also offer High Tea at the Fairmont Palliser which occurs after the first Tuesday of each production – a great opportunity to dress up in your fanciest duds!
So, whether or not time is your enemy and you desire excellent entertainment, Lunchbox Theatre is for you. Their one-act plays succinctly tell the story in 50 minutes, are high-quality and leave you as pleasingly satisfied as if you were at two-hour play.
“If I Weren’t with You” was written by Joe Slabe, who also played Pam and Allan’s friend Steve. Katherine Fadum’s portrayal of emotional Pam was charming , while JP Thibodeau captured Allan’s innocence. After several years of marriage, can they save the relationship? Pam is consumed by work and wants more out of life, while Allan just wants to ignore the discord that is threatening their routine existence.
Discussions reveal that everything is “fine”. Fine. That four-letter word that really indicates acceptance of a situation that probably isn’t “fine”. As the couple works through their problems, they individually seek advice from their friend Steve. Even this attempt to reach out causes Pam and Allan to argue as Pam declares that Steve was her friend first and what was Allan doing there?
As the play continues, each spouse relates imagined scenarios that do not include the other in their lives. It culminates as each realizes that the dream lives they envision, still would not exist, even if they weren’t together. They carry on. Despite the seriousness of the story line, the music and use of humour at just the right time provided an ideal balance, taking the edge off.
This performance speaks to the quality of entertainment that Lunchbox Theatre offers. I would encourage you to check out their upcoming shows at www.lunchboxtheatre.com. The 2013/2014 season includes six world premieres, all by Canadian playwrights (four are Calgarians!).
Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower - 160 - 115 9th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta. The theatre has an intimate setting and there does not appear to be a bad seat in the house. However, it is festival seating so if you like to sit up front, try to get there early.
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