Queen Street News Toronto

Theatre: 21 Days, 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival
What would you do if you only had
21 great days out of your life to live
and after those days were used
you were faced with certain death?
Would you keep your life simple
and mundane, purposely avoiding
great days in the hope that your
life will be extended for as long as
possible? Or would you throw
caution to the wind and choose to
enjoy each day as it comes, great
day or not, even with the potential
of your own demise? This is the
scenario presented in Jessica
Kostucks’ musical “21 Days”.
Produced by Bad Dress
Productions, it is the story of a
young woman named Julie
(Elizabeth Conway) who lives a
simple kind of life that offers little
excitement.
She works at a cafe/bakery that is
run by her parents Edward and
Cynthia (Mark Piggot and Elyse
Lewis). Her parents encourage
Julie to lead a life of simplicity and
mediocrity and she obliges, afraid
to face the unknown. Then along
comes Ben (Ryan Anning). A
clumsy and lovable type, Ben
encourages Julie to take chances
and to step out of her comfort
zone. Cheering them on along the
way are Dan and Dal (Brendan
Doherty and Peter Perri), a same
sex couple who set a positive
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example with their love and
commitment towards each other.
They offer reinforcement and act
as mentors to Ben along the way.
Things get complicated when Julie
and Ben decide to marry and the
real choices need to be made.
Should they attempt to start a
family? Or should Julie just enjoy
the time she has left to the fullest
and do what she wants without
involving anyone else?
21 Days is set to music that in
itself was pretty standard musical
wise, but it worked and the tunes
were catchy. The only instruments
used were an electric drum kit and
keyboard, but given the size of the
production nothing more was really
needed. The simplicity of the set
allowed the audience to focus on
the characters, and affective use
of lighting was made for transition
scenes. 21 Days offers the right
amount of heart and
sentimentality.
The premise might seem over the
top but the questions it poses are
relatable. Whether we have 21
days or a life time the choices we
make impact us and those we care
about. If given more than an hour
I’m sure this play could have
delved a bit deeper, but regardless
21 days has the right amount of
Humour and drama to keep an
audience satisfied. With an overall
message being one of perspective,
it reminds us that life is often times
not so straight forward and seldom
are the choices we make easy, but
it’s the people we love and who
love us that make life worth living.
Review By Jen Allard
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torontotheater-reviews.com is printed in five local papers. Story By: Jen Allard
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