A party/housewarming/play, Pachiv! shows that while we try to put on a happy face in front of strangers, the problems that eat away at our happiness continue to affect us.
If you find yourself at Academic Hall (Venue 3 in the Fringe program), point yourself south past Tabaret Hall (the big, stately university building) and walk for about 150 metres, you’ll find the small outdoor amphitheatre where Grease and Ewe, an eccentric Romany couple from an unnamed Eastern European country, have set themselves up for the time being. Moving from place to place, they try raise money for fertility treatments – a seemingly throwaway explanation at the start though the strain it puts on their marriage grows throughout.
Despite practical issues with using an outdoor space like the Bronfman amphitheatre (a rain venue is nearby just in case), Grease and Ewe’s struggle to maintain a happy façade before their guests is compounded by the fact that performers Tony Adams and Chelsea Young are completely at the mercy of passersby – the fragility becomes very evident very quickly.
Adams brings his funny chops (particularly when recounting the journey he and Ewe took to Canada in leaving their village), but Young particularly stands out, both with her strong command of her accent and the emotional intensity she captures from being the one in the relationship who can’t conceive.
The story itself may not the strongest, but between the space and the performances Pachiv! becomes an event where you see a relationship break down and find the possibility to build back up.
Pachiv!
A Hymm’s in Hearse Theatre production
Written and Performed by Tony Adams and Chelsea Young
Running Time 60 minutes
Playing at Bronfman Amphitheatre (BYOV C)
Wednesday June 24 8:30 pm
Thursday June 25 8:30 pm
Friday June 26 8:30 pm
Saturday June 27 8:30 pm
Ian Huffam
The New Ottawa Critics 