By Brian Lockhart March 30, 2009
Why did this happen? That's often the unanswered question when tragedy strikes.
Delving into the psyche of five individuals who have an unseen thread connecting them, but on different levels, Blackhorse Village Players production of Rabbit Hole explores a human response to a human tragedy.
Written by David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by Harry Lavigne, Rabbit Hole opens a wealth of emotion on many levels.
Penned in a very literal style of honest dialogue and sentiment, this production is a challenge for any cast.
But the experienced Blackhorse ensemble rises to the occasion and delivers a performance that tugs at the heart and lays open the vulnerability we all face when travelling through life's journey.
Veteran performer Chandra Mulder takes on the challenge in the role of Becca in a performance worthy of cinematic capture.
As Becca, Mulder creates a character who is dealing with strong emotions that are for the most part hidden, but manifest themselves when a chord strikes a raw nerve.
Mulder has a wide range as a performer including participating in musicals and an improv comedy troop.
Larry Hines parks his comedic persona in the wings for this production and plays it straight in the role of Howie, a man who bottles up his anguish in a tight package but still seeks answers.
After nine roles in comedy, Hines makes his dramatic debut in Rabbit Hole and delivers a solid character that is the voice of reason, while still harbouring an underlying feeling of resentment.
Jo-Anne Pulfer returns to the Blackhorse stage for her first performance in a drama. After appearing in several musicals and comedies, Pulfer creates the character Izzy, an energetic, slightly offbeat girl with a mind of her own. She lends a light comedic touch with some well delivered zingers that brighten the stage in some dark moments.
No stranger to the performing arts, Annette Derraugh arrives in the role of Nat, a slightly scattered woman who chatters incessantly if given the opportunity. Derraugh nails the character who can be highly insensitive one moment, but rallies with common sense when necessary.
Derraugh is well known for her range in a variety of productions.
Enter Jason, the high school senior - a somewhat innocent figure played by Nicolino De Francesco.
As Jason, De Francesco is connected to the rest of the cast by a split-second act of fate. He plays a character that is thrust into a situation but lacks the experience to deal with it and hovers at the edge of the others' existence.
De Francesco has been learning his craft over the past six years and has recently been accepted to the theatre program at Humber College.
Rabbit Hole is a quality performance that draws you into the characters' lives and may leave you with a tear in your eye if you're the sensitive type. It's tragic, but there is no intent, no malice, and no revenge. It's not about forgiving, but understanding.
Well crafted with a brilliant stage design and clever use of audio and lighting, the entire production is first rate.
The production is Blackhorse's entry for this year's Association of Community Theatres Central Ontario (ACTCO) awards.
Rabbit Hole continues on the Blackhorse Village Players stage located at Highway 9 and Mount Wolfe Road through April 11.
