Having avoided (however non-intentional) the intimacy of local theatre for the past few years I was thrilled to have the opportunity, along with my best friend Kathy, to witness a little piece of magic during a recent trip to Lunchbox Theatre.   The lobby, non –existent, and the portable bar wheeled into the main theatre by a gentleman who tended it with great seriousness (perhaps an aspiring actor paying his dues) reminded me of all the gems Calgary has to offer in the form of arts and culture.  Jostling amongst a very boisterous Saturday lunch time crowd we found  seats made more comfortable by the surrounding din of conversation as old friends finally found a Saturday in which to share a Chai Latte, and some catching-up conversation followed by In on It  performed by Mark Bellamy (This One) and Stafford Perry (That One).

The three prevalent story lines require one’s attention.  Ray (That One) and Ray’s Doctor (This One) are actors playing actors in which Ray’s Doctor is insisting Ray go through some additional medical testing that Ray questions repeatedly.  The outcome of said testing is left to the imagination of the audience as the play draws to its conclusion.  A second plot involves a couple breaking up and a young boy who is caught in the middle of the calamity.  And, finally, a third plot involving a blue Mercedes and a car accident.  Often comedic, sometimes dramatic and from time-to-time emotional the two men move in and out of plots using a men’s blazer to signal changes in both character and attitude.

This seemingly choppy drama is critiqued and mulled over by the actors themselves to the extent that it leaves little to interpretation by the audience.  Feelings are dissected, actions are questioned and storylines reviewed as This One and That One play out the storylines which appear to be intertwined and at the same time unrelated.

MacIvor is considered one of Canada’s finest playwrights.  Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia he is a five-time nominee of the Governor General’s Award and a two-time winner of the Chalmers Award for best new Canadian play.  MacIvor often performs his own work and tours across the country setting the tone for his own characters.

Relieved it was not a Friday afternoon production, but rather Saturday, there was no requirement to return to our offices.  The play was an emotional whirlwind as my friend and I debriefed the production on our brief walk back to our chosen lunch spot.  Mark Bellamy (This One) is sad and unassuming while Stafford Perry (That One) is enthusiastic and often a bit too eager to criticize both the script and characterizations Bellamy (This One) is proposing.

It is not until This One and Than One begin to explore the doomed relationship of two men that I finally become truly embroiled in the story lines.  It was difficult to become involved with any given story as snippets of dialogue remained anti-climatic.  Such is the nature of "lunch box theatre".  When Bellamy and Perry perform choreography to Leslie Gore’s Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows the audience is suddenly alive and yet the play remains unfinished.  A false ending to an emotional work out seemed cruel at the time.

Both actors put on a fine performance as you chuckle one moment and tear-up the next as they move seamlessly between characters and plots.  Bellamy is the well-known artistic director at Lunchbox Theatre and Stafford boasts a fine list of credits including being last seen in Lunchbox’s production of With Bells On.

If you missed the run of this production you have missed out on some solid reminders about what life, love and happiness could truly mean if one took the time.  Sometimes clichéd, but always entertaining, the production adds enough humor that we might go about our day unscathed by its attempted messaging.   For my friend and I the play delivered the exact amount of life lesson and entertainment to make it a Saturday afternoon well spent!

In On It runs until April 9, 2016 at Lunchbox Theatre and is directed by Samantha MacDonald.