Performance Review: ‘Stag and Doe’

Stag and Doe, directed by Louise Mallory, was the perfect play to kick off the summer. The cast had the audience laughing, awing, and biting their fingernails as Bonnie (Katelyn Arthurs) and Brad’s (Ryan Matilla) stag and doe spirals into absolute chaos. 

The couple ends up sharing the hall with Mandy (Stephanie Swensrude) and Rob (Ram Gill), who they aren’t exactly fond of. A tight schedule for a wedding reception that has already gone off the rails before it’s even started is a recipe for disaster. Things only continue to get worse, for the wedding and for the characters. 

All in all, it was a relatively simple play that was well executed. There was no fancy lighting or crazy props, no elaborate costumes, but it worked well. For a play about a rural community hall, it made perfect sense to keep things simple. It also put a focus on the characters and the actors’ performances.

The characters — and the entire play — felt nostalgic as someone who grew up in rural Alberta. The conversations about the local gossip and squabbling between couples was all too familiar. There were definitely a fair share of dramatics — largely from Mandy — but the actors didn’t overplay any of the characters. And the cast did a fantastic job at maintaining that authenticity and making the interactions between characters feel authentic. 

The plot and problems that drove the story also felt true to the setting and the heart of the story. The small town awkwardness of running into your ex, money troubles, and a lack of available venues all fit.

The humour of the play was undoubtedly one of the highlights. The cast had the audience laughing throughout the entire play. The jokes also went beyond just clever lines as the plot and the character’s interactions had the audience cracking up. Between Mandy’s dramatics and Dee’s (Mélissa Masse) quips, there was no shortage of things to laugh about.

Even though the entire play took place in the community hall kitchen, it felt layered and never stagnant. The cast filled the kitchen with life and took the audience through an entire day of wedding/pre-wedding chaos. 

And what would be a kitchen without a chef? Jay (Ali Muhammad Khowaja) was a perfect addition to the cast part-way through the play. His own disastrous day and interactions with the other characters only added to the building chaos. He quickly became one of my favourite characters and his chemistry with Dee was amazingly sweet to watch.

Though there were some moments where I was seriously concerned for the couples’ relationships, the play came to a satisfying and light-hearted conclusion. Stag and Doe promised chaos, and it delivered that and plenty more.

Stag and Doe is playing at the Walterdale Theatre until May 3.