Review: TRIBES at the Segal Centre

BWW Review: Tribes at the Segal Centre The Segal Centre's production of Tribes is an astonishing breath of fresh air. It's razor sharp, funny, edgy, foul-mouthed and hilarious. And it stars a deaf actor in the lead role of Billy.

There is something remarkable about seeing a deaf actor playing a deaf character onstage because it happens so infrequently in theatre and it brings so much respect and delicacy to the production. Jack Volpe, who plays Billy, is not only hearing impaired, but he's a highly emotive actor. The grace with which he uses American Sign Language to express himself is absolutely captivating to watch.

Billy is the only deaf member of a loud, boisterous, intellectual family and while he's learned to lip read and adjust as best he can, the lack of accommodation on the part of his family is a pervasive elephant in the room. When Billy meets Sylvia, a woman from a deaf family who is going deaf herself, everything changes for him.

While the romantic plot is an important element, it takes a backseat to the family drama that provides the main threads of action and tension to the plot. Billy's father Christopher, played by the effortlessly funny Greg Ellwand, is the least supportive and most controversial member of the family. Christopher is a scholar who uses language as a weapon, memorably referring to someone as having "the charisma of a bus shelter."

Daniel Brochu also shines brightly in the role of Billy's brother Daniel, who is plagued by night terrors and voices and develops a heavy stutter when under stress. Brochu is tremendously fun to watch, and very sympathetic. While his side struggles are largely unexplained and ignored by his family, Brochu brings a real sense of vulnerability to Daniel's words and actions.

If there is one thing to criticize, it is that the playwright Raine doesn't offer enough material for the women of this show. Toni Ellwand, Lisa Norton and Andrea Runge (playing the mother, sister and lover respectively) are lovely and bring a good deal of energy to the production, but their characters lack the same emotional depth afforded to Billy, Christopher and Daniel. While the small cast is half women, half men, the scales feel unbalanced when it comes to the weight of their words.

Set in an open-concept kitchen/living room, the actors make good use of the large space at the Segal mainstage. Director Sarna Lapine clearly went in with a strong vision and it translates well in the final product. The pacing of the play, which only runs an hour and 35 minutes, flows expertly from bustling, to calm, and from chaos to silence.

On the technical side, the show makes good use of projected images and words, helping to translate and emphasize important moments, while not going so far as to subtitle the play. There are also three scheduled ASL-interpreted shows, Nov. 30, Dec. 7 & 13.

On the whole, the show's treatment of disability is both powerful and respectful. It's clear that a lot of thought and pride went into this production top to bottom, and that the cast and creative team worked very hard to make something special while staying true to Raine's brilliant script.

Tribes runs at the Segal Centre until Dec. 20 with tickets starting at $44. More information about performances and tickets here: http://www.segalcentre.org/whats-on/upcoming-events/segal-theatre/tribes/

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