I’ve been to The Cultch before, because I remember the wine bar and the fact that they have revolving artwork and jewellery for sale in this area. However, when it came time to head into the actual theatre portion of the venue, I don’t recall the vintage bar to the left or the actual intimate theatre that we would eventually be seated in.
They have balcony seats, but only the floor directly in front of the stage was seated. They too were vintage with red velvet, upholstery and gold embellishments.
Admittedly, I am not a big fan of theatre as I find my ADHD gets the best of me when having to sit still for any production and focus solely on what is in front of me, instead of dividing my attention between two tasks, like I normally do when I am watching TV at home. However, to my surprise and delight after I was able to capture the gist of the show, it held my attention throughout.
I originally decided to come because the performance was advertised as being along the lines of mental health, which is within my career field. So I thought to immerse myself in an offshoot of that would be fun.
However, this was nothing like the discipline of Counselling, despite the fact that two of the characters were psychologist/, and there were conversations surrounding mental health and wellness, specifically around depression and the use of drugs to treat it.
Without spoiling anything, the show is basically about two young adults entering a drug trial where they are given antidepressants. They are cut off from the rest of society for a month and week after week, their bond grows, as well as the dosage. A side story line takes place with the doctor administering the test and the owner of the pharmaceutical company, hoping to have this particular drug cleared by the FDA.
The mix of the drugs and their growing feelings has our two lovers questioning whether their experiencing for one another is authentic or skewed. Reality is flooded with the thoughts of control subjects and placebos. You get to see the start of relationship, the literal climax of said relationship, and then the downward spiral. The ending doesn’t give you much satisfaction, but leads you into discussion with your theatre going companion. There are many interpretations and you can choose to see each character in your own optimistic or pessimistic outlook.
My only issue is that it took me a while to understand what was going on. It wasn’t explicitly clear in the get-go. However that is probably my fault because I don’t like to read the synopsis before I watch a show and hope that I can learn it along the way. At the same time I think I was trying to find a storyline or lesson to be learned, when in reality this was just meant to be a fictional piece of potential. A story of what if, and what can be.
Here is the description of the show that the Cultch website gives.
“Presented by The Cultch
Produced by Rumble Theatre (Vancouver) and ITSAZOO Productions (Vancouver)
Connie and Tristan sign up for a clinical trial testing a new dopamine-regulating antidepressant under close observation. As doses increase, so does their attraction. But as desire intensifies and side effects ripple through the study, one unsettling question emerges: is this love… or just chemistry?
Placing audiences inside the clinical trial, the line between genuine emotion and chemical manipulation begins to blur. Provocative and darkly funny, The Effect asks: are we anything more than our brain chemistry? And if you can’t trust your heart or your mind… What’s left?”
And at 90 minutes with no intermission, this was just the right amount of theatre for me. We were utterly impressed by the actors. Their acting and skills were evident from the jump. I was pulled into their world by the realism. With their close proximity to us in our seat, and mirrored reflections visible, this made the storytelling that much more symbiotic. We as the audience felt fully immersed in their tales. There was comedic timing, some bedroom jokes, and a bit of levity sprinkled in for relatability, and to give us a bit of a mental break in between all the heavier and dryer material.
I was especially surprised to see sexual intercourse somewhat acted out and even hand stuff under a sheet.
Overall, this was playful, I was entertained, and I can definitely recommend it for anyone looking for an activity to do after dinner. At the time of this post there is only one more showing left before the show ends its run on October 25th.
Historic Theatre, The Cultch
1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6
(604) 251-1363
thecultch.com
