By the time I arrived at the Ted Daigle auditorium to see Chicken Hearts and Baby Onions, my hands were raw and my feet were frozen. I hoped feel-good action and witty dialogue would warm the cockles of my heart, and I would leave the theatre with a smile on my face and in my soul.
Well, the dialogue certainly was witty.
The Next Folding Theatre Company (NFTC) performed a funny yet crushing performance last Saturday of German Saravanja’s play, produced initially in 2005 while Saravanja was attended the National Theatre School in Montreal.
Chicken Hearts and Baby Onions starred St. Thomas University grad Ryan Griffith, who went on to study at the National Theatre School after getting his undergrad degree at STU. Griffith, the artistic director of NFTC, played Jan, a Croatian, widowed father of two who ran his own business.
When Wolf, a good friend of Jan’s from the old country, was accused of being involved with a terrorist group, Jan was determined to scrape together the money necessary for Wolf’s legal aid. The commitment to Wolf’s trial would cost half a million dollars, with more and more charges continuing to be laid.
Amidst the accusations and media attention, Jan attempted to connect to his two Canadian-born children, played by STU students Matt Goodwin (Misha) and Jilly Hanson (Anja). Hanson’s portrayal of a 23-year-old, university-educated woman trying to help her struggling family was poignant and Goodwin’s emotionally-driven character rang true in his acting.
The play’s heavy subject matter was delightfully paired with comic relief, often playing up on Jan’s broken English. My favourite line was Griffith’s perfect delivery of: “Tell that bitch hello!” after asking his daughter where she was off to.
Rebekah Chasse, who acted in The Bard in the Barracks’ Macbeth and King Lear this summer, played Charlie, Jan’s right-hand woman in his business. Chasse created a relatable persona for Charlie, who was both sharp-witted and motherly – the kind of person who’d take the blame for something they had no part in.
Director Thomas Fanjoy and assistant director Jake Martin produced Chicken Hearts and Baby Onions for its second time onstage, bringing to life Saravanja’s tragic family dynamic. Just after the last scene finished and before the auditorium lights came up, I’m positive I heard faint sniffles echoing in the Ted Daigle.
NFTC is a Maritime theatre company based out of Fredericton. It was originally founded in 2004 for the Toronto Fringe Festival, but was revived last year for the 2010 production of “Henry Moon: Conducts and Mischiefs of the Lunar Rogue.” NFTC’s next show runs Feb. 24-26, 2012.
