Under the Mango Tree: a heartfelt story

Under the Mango Tree

*Under the Mango Tree* tells a heartfelt story of immigration and loss.  As both performer and playwright, Veenesh Dubois paints a lush portrait of the tropical village where young Timal grows up yearning for her father, who has moved to Canada in order to support his child and aging parents from afar.


Under the Mango Tree
is rooted in strong material.  The tale is simple and poignant and Dubois scatters lyrical imagery throughout: ripe mangos, green leaves, the spare and simple tools of village life. Unfortunately the script is weighed down with long-winded exposition and these flashes of beauty do not coalesce into the vibrant whole that they promise.

Dubois performs with a refreshing emotional honesty, but her pacing is slow, and it feels like she is telegraphing meaning to the audience. There are occasions where the play's weighty tone works to good effect. Timal's attempted suicide is handled well: bathed in red light Dubois seems to hang against the ghostly sillouette of the mango tree, almost suspended over the stage.

The plot of Under the Mango Tree has sufficient gravity, and it would benefit, in the telling, from a quicker pace and a more delicate touch.

For showtime information go here.

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By Kirstie McCallum