“This One” centres around Denise’s first pie making experience. The pie (pecan, using her mother’s recipe) is being made under somewhat stressful circumstances. She is about to host a family birthday gathering for her 4-year old niece and time to decorate and prepare the promised pie is running out. Early on, she asks the audience members (demands really, but with such dis-arming charm that you couldn’t say no) to help with the preparations by being her “tribe”.
The actual pie creation takes place on a tiny counter, but Mader takes possession of the entire stage with her effervescent personality and portrayal of emotions which tumble forth in rapid succession. She covers her personal theories and worries, at age thirty-seven, about having a successful life, dating, motherhood, being a modern woman, family, rural versus city life and more.
Denise was the first child and only daughter in a farm family with five children. This is largely a story about Denise and her mother. Through memories and anecdotes, she sites their personality differences. Denise remembers her mother’s word for her – “rammy”. She is a creative spirit who has left farm life to become a city woman. She describes her mother as strong, practical and not “huggy”. Yet one comes to feel over the course of the performance that “This One” is really one big hug for the woman Denise has come to know with certainty was both a loving mother and a special person.
“This One” is a world premiere, written and performed by Denise Mader and directed by Melee Hutton. It continues to August 13th at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre, www.portstanleytheatre.ca.
Denise was the first child and only daughter in a farm family with five children. This is largely a story about Denise and her mother. Through memories and anecdotes, she sites their personality differences. Denise remembers her mother’s word for her – “rammy”. She is a creative spirit who has left farm life to become a city woman. She describes her mother as strong, practical and not “huggy”. Yet one comes to feel over the course of the performance that “This One” is really one big hug for the woman Denise has come to know with certainty was both a loving mother and a special person.
“This One” is a world premiere, written and performed by Denise Mader and directed by Melee Hutton. It continues to August 13th at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre, www.portstanleytheatre.ca.