A Short History of My Life as a Bear + Nancy of the Pizza Garden - Two Very Different Life Stories

A Short History of My Life as a Bear + Nancy of the Pizza Garden are two short plays written by Kempton Dexter and Jacques Lalonde, produced by One Crazy Frenchman and a Big Bear Productions. The plays are running at the Havana Theatre, a cozy performance space in the back of the homonymous restaurant, on Commercial Drive.

Nancy, which is directed by Anthony F. Ingram, opened the night. Set in an art studio, the show is a dialogue between Travis (Richard Newman), a painter who is especially fond of landscapes and man on horses, and Alex (Michael Kopsa), an art dealer who is kept on a very short leash by his wife.
Their conversation is all about Nancy, a portrait of a 15-year old girl of the same name, and led me to think of those people that randomly appear in our lives, leave their mark, and with whom you lose contact with, in the same kind of randomness as when you meet them.

A Short History of My Life as a Bear is a monologue about, well... a bear, a grizzly bear, to be more specific. This Bear (Jacques Lalonde), is probably different from the average grizzly you may have seen during one of your hikes. He sings, he dances, and he does yoga, a true Vancouverite.

Although advertised as a hilarious comedy, this piece failed to make the audience laugh for the most part of it. The text was well written, and Lalonde's acting was unquestionable, but the jokes need some more attention. The best aspect of this Short History was definitely the live band and the Bear Choir (Kempton Dexter, Richard Newman, Chelsey Moore, Roxy Hamilton and Michel Drouin) and the audience choir, who was given a booklet to follow the adapted lyrics to songs you probably know.

Two very different life stories, with live music on the side, I do recommend it. So, get your motor running, and head out to the Havana Theatre.