AFTER a new play had its opening night on Tuesday at the Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. A co-production of star Stefania Indelicato‘s dream of passion productions, and director Jessica Anne Nelson‘s Excavation Theatre, AFTER tells the stories of 4 people in their 20s & 30s, the conversations that take place after sex and their discovery of themselves and their lovers. Sandra (co-producer Stefania Indelicato) is a women in her 30s looking for her one true love, James (Al Miro) a ‘free-spirited’ guy in his 30s. Jackie (Jane Hancock) and Daniel (Matthew McLellan) are in their 20s, the former is confused about what she wants and who she is while Daniel simply doesn’t like drama.
While at first glance, AFTER appears to be about sex and drama, the fact that the players are sexy and attractive is secondary to their witty voyage of self-discovery and honesty. The simple set, just a bed, kept the focus on the characters and their attempt to be honest with their partners and most importantly, themselves. The female characters are the best developed and emotionally exposed, especially Indelicato’s solo monologues, baring her feelings to James over the phone. Al Miro’s James could easily have been just the hunky eye-candy, with the most sexual of the roles, but his comedic timing elevates the role from sex object to misunderstood misogynist. Simple Daniel is probably the least developed character and changes the least but McLellan humanizes what could be a forgotten character when paired against Hancock’s Jackie who fills the stage with neurosis and angst. Throw them all together and AFTER play becomes as much fun as foreplay, something everyone will enjoy and relate to.
AFTER plays at the Havana Theatre at 1212 Commercial Drive, March 25-29, April 1-5 at 8pm. Tickets are $20 online
Follow the hashtag #AFTERplay to see what’s happening.