Green Thumb Theatre's revamped CRANKED delves into addiction and recovery
Michael P. Northey’s one-person show is more relevant than ever amid the ongoing opioid crisis
Chirag Naik in Green Thumb Theatre’s CRANKED. Photo by Sarah Race with set by Justus Hayes and lighting by Jacob Wan.
Green Thumb Theatre presents CRANKED on October 6 and 7 at 7 pm via livestream, with a 15-minute post-show discussion facilitated by addictions counsellor Jordana Jackson. Tickets, $10 per device, are available in partnership with the Massey Theatre at https://www.masseytheatre.com/event/CRANKED/
WHEN GREEN THUMB Theatre premiered Michael P. Northey’s CRANKED in 2004, crystal meth was the deadliest and most readily available illegal drug on the street. With the opioid crisis maintaining its grip on B.C. and beyond, the company has adapted the one-person show for the present day, offering a timely glimpse into drug addiction.
Told through rap and spoken word, the story centres on Stan (Chirag Naik), aka Definition, a freestyling solo artist who’s prepping for his comeback following his recovery from meth addiction. The revised show has updated beats and lyrics from the likes of hip-hop artists Kyprios and Chin Injeti and features a live DJ (Stephanie Wong) as well as new content that addresses the staggering ravages fentanyl. It’s all to break down stereotypes and to connect with, speak to, educate, and empower youth.
Green Thumb Theatre artistic director Rachel Aberle, co-director of CRANKED (with Daniela Atiencia) notes that the company had toured a slightly updated version of the show to schools and venues in 2019. It quickly became apparent, given the ongoing overdose crisis, that there was still a need for work for young audiences exploring themes of addiction and recovery. When the pandemic hit, the company was considering past works that would adapt well to a digital format. In the era of Tik-Tok and Instagram, CRANKED felt like a perfect fit.
“In many ways the core of the show remains the same,” Aberle tells Stir. “Substance misuse, addiction, and recovery have been part of the human experience for ages. What has changed is the pervasiveness of overdose death as drug supplies grow more contaminated and stigmas around drug use continue to keep people using in silence and in secret. The life-and-death stakes of drug use are closer to the surface in the CRANKED of 2021 than when it premiered because that is the reality that drug users face today.”
To prepare for the role, Naik, who had worked with Green Thumb in the past—and who’s a hip-hop fan, occasional rap writer, and advocate for work surrounding addictions—pored over published works by author, speaker, and addictions expert Gabor Mate.
“I was lucky to meet him several years back working on another show, and his work in the field and his insights are incredible,” Naik tells Stir. “Perhaps most importantly, I thought it was important to see things first-hand. I spent time visiting the Downtown Eastside and speaking with any addicts who were comfortable sharing anything about their situation and their drug use. I think it’s important to understand that even though this story is a fictional creation, it is a reality for a lot of people out there, not just in Vancouver.”
This is Naik’s second time performing CRANKED. Originally, he was in front of live audiences; this time out, the show will be streamed live from Green Thumb Theatre studios.
“I think this combined form actually helps in telling the story even more effectively,” Naik says. “The audience is experiencing Stan’s journey to recovery together with each passing moment, including the highs and the devastating lows. Addiction too holds a close connection to immediacy because it is something that is ever present, no matter where an individual is at in their journey.
“As our drug addictions counsellor [Jordana Jackson] has so eloquently put, ‘The opposite to addiction is not actually sobriety, it is connection.’”
While Green Thumb’s mandate is to connect with young audiences, CRANKED is geared to anyone over age 13, Aberle says.
“At the core of Green Thumb’s work is the belief that children and youth deserve access to work that is artistically excellent and speaks to the issues that matter most in their daily lives,” Aberle says. “That’s the expectation most adult audiences have when they enter a theatre, and we don’t believe young people deserve anything less.
“It [CRANKED] is produced with a teenage audience in mind, but the show we have created is really calling on everyone involved to be performing at the top of their game,” she says. “The performances, the songs, the writing, and all of the technical elements are really examples of excellent Canadian artistry. We’re so proud of the work of everyone on the team and we’re so excited that people are able to tune in near and far.”
For more information, see the Massey Theatre.
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