Theatre review: The Café plunges audiences into a voyeuristic role at a working coffee shop
Viewers are encouraged to eavesdrop on seven scenes in various languages
The Cafe. Photo by Chelsey Stuyt
ITSAZOO Productions and Aphotic Theatre, in partnership with PuSh, present The Café at Kafka’s (577 Great Northern Way) to October 22
THE CAFE INVITES audience members to become voyeurs of sorts. The intimate, immersive theatre experience, which is having its world premiere and is directed by project creator Fay Nass and Chelsea Haberlin, takes place at Kafka’s Café and Bakery. Viewers are encouraged to wander throughout the coffee shop, grab a beverage, and eavesdrop on seven scenes that expose the complexity of human relationships.
Everyone in the audience of about 40 will experience The Café differently, each person directing their attention to whichever interaction among seven pairs captivates them the most at any given moment. The contained chaos of the coffee shop becomes part of the performance itself: actors’ voices overlap and contrast each other; there are the sounds of shuffling feet and quiet conversation between audience members; and servers take orders at the bar. At times, only fragments of what’s being discussed can be heard, just as if you were listening in on a real-life encounter among strangers. In Vancouver, such moments could unfold in any number of languages; here, there’s English, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Polish.
Each of the scenes explores a relationship. In “Mango Cake”, written by Amy Lee Lavoie and Omari Newton and performed by Meghan Hemingway and Kwasi Thomas, a mixed-race couple is suddenly confronted by racial tension in their relationship. Their voices swell loudly into an argument, demanding viewers’ attention. There’s an awkwardness to our inquisitiveness. “Father’s Day”, written by Sebastian Archibald, sees actor Ben Elliott quietly confronting his dad in a phone call after a 25-year absence. (On this particular date, the second actor wasn’t able to be present, but even with this change to the script, the one-sided conversation had emotional depth.)
Some scenes confront the deepest aspects of human existence, like love and grief, while others are lighter. Consider the comedic take on serendipitous moments of life in Submission by Fay Nass and Diana Garcia. Performed by Jaqueline Korb and Montserrat Videla Samper, the vignette relies heavily on the intrigue and, at times, the patience of the viewer.
Let’s face it: many people take secret pleasure in people-watching and listening in on others’ conversations; some find inspiration in the small glimpses of the lives of people we don’t know while some may feel a sense of guilty satisfaction in listening to a couple fight in public. The Café brings intention to the everyday act of observation. As they become part of the performance, spectators might end up carefully considering their own fascinations, biases, and desires.
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