Rebecca S. Mickle stars in The Rhinoceros Woman
Post Productions is currently staging a double bill of new plays from local award-winning Windsor-Essex playwright and author Edele Winnie. Windsor theatre buffs might remember Winnie’s Pry It From My Cold Dead hands in 2020, which spawned positive reviews just before an abruptly halted theatre season from COVID.
This time out, Winnie takes us on two very different journeys – The Rhinoceros Woman and Squirrel Party – all in one night.
First up, The Rhinoceros Woman, which tells the story of Ivanka (Rebecca S. Mickle), a young woman with a disfigured head in the shape of a rhinoceros, who travels with a carnival act featuring several exploitative acts. The story centers around the efforts of public health official Dr. Elizabeth Foster (Stephanie Cragg) who attempts to help and free Ivanka from the confines of the carnival.
It’s remarkable how many tries the doctor attempts in her efforts to free the woman. In the process she ends up falling for Ivanka and that’s when the fun begins. Her dedication to unwrapping the woman from her head covering is unwavering.
Mickle was charming as Ivanka and a very stark contrast to the shy and unconfident way Cragg portrayed the doctor. The best performance was from Greg Girty who gave Bob the Carnival Barker all the charm and character of a pushy used car salesman – exactly how we’d want to see a character like this.
A simple stage, minimal props, bare lighting and a whole lotta’ story – that’s what makes this version of The Rhinoceros Woman a pretty fun show. A “big up” for Producer/Director Fay Lynn for her humourous prop changes and walk-ons.
The shorter of the two shows, Squirrel Party, is an absolute blast. It’s the story of Jackie (Emma Truswell), a promising young woman who gets involved with the Green Arrow, an environmentalist action group opposed to the construction of a nuclear power plant. That’s where she meets its leader Nemo (Joey Ouellette) and it’s when she contemplates everything she is and everything she wants to be. That sends her boyfriend Phillip (Alex Monk) into a jealous frenzy.
Joey Ouellette steals the show as Nemo, the odd, frantic and passionate protester who’s more 1960s “granola” than the entire decade put together. Truswell and Monk play off each other well and neither of them trespass on Ouellette’s zaniness, giving a beautiful contrast in characters.
This entire evening was really about female empowerment and Winnie’s characters. She builds these stories into places most will never go – an often dark side of ourselves that we’re usually afraid to explore. The situations are highlighted by zany characters and a fierce playfulness that ends in an emotional exploration of consciousness. In essence, her plays explore parts of the human psyche rarely shared with others – and that’s what makes these plays unique.
The Rhinoceros Woman is a well written show that could benefit from 5 or 10 minutes less and Squirrel Party is a pure joy that could easily have borrowed that discarded time. The two shows make for a fine evening out though, celebrating everything local theatre can be, with local writers, producers, actors and crew. And the accompanying t-shirts that are available for purchase are simply adorable.
Tickets for The Rhinoceros Woman/Squirrel Party are available online at postproductionswindsor.ca. The show runs for one more weekend – April 28, 29 and 30 at The Shadowbox Theatre at 1501 Howard Avenue in Windsor.
