The Arts Club Theatre Company presents the one-woman play, Burning Mom at the Granville Island Stage until April 24. Written and directed by Mieko Ouchi, Burning Mom stars Susinn McFarlen as Dorothy, a widow on a journey through grief and life.
Based on Mieko Ouchi’s own family history, the mostly true story follows Dorothy, after the sudden lose of her husband, Eugene, just as they were planning their retirement. Taking the bull by the horns, Dorothy makes a bold decision, much to chagrin of her family, to take their RV on a trip from Calgary to the Burning Man festival, in Nevada – something her artists husband had suggested as one of their retirement adventures. First she needs to learn to drive the 26′ long trailer, then along with one of her three children, she sets off on a days-long drive to the weeklong arts and culture party in desert. Finding adventure, arts, friends, and most importantly, herself, along the way.
In the highly-capable hands of Susinn McFarlen’s storytelling, Burning Mom becomes an emotional and engaging tale of navigating grief and finding yourself, life, love and laughter. If unplanned or not, McFarlen seemingly stumbles on some of her dialogue making the play feel more natural, like a spontaneous sharing of Dorothy’s insights. While McFarlen is the only actor on stage, she is not the only star – Set Designer Patrick Rizzotti brilliantly recreates a full-scale model of Dorothy’s beloved RV “Jag”. Like the namesake in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Jag is an omnipresent second character vital to the adventure, anchoring Dorothy to her memories of Eugene and their life together while literally being the vehicle to help her move forward.
By having Dorothy speak directly to the audience, Mieko Ouchi allows everyone to be a part of the story and relate their own feelings and experiences to this adventure. Laugh and cry along with Dorothy as Burning Mom continues until April 24, 2025 at Arts Club Theatre Granville Island Stage, 1585 Johnston Street. Visit artsclub.com for more show details and tickets