Award-winning playwright Pippa Mackie has arrived at The Cultch’s Historic Theater with a brand new production titled “Hurricane Mona”. The play uses elements of drama and absurd humor mixed in with some real climate talk and ecological emotions. Aiding her extraordinary vision is a brilliant theater crew and talented actors.
“Hurricane Mona” centers the titular character Mona (Alex Gullason) and her seemingly run-of-the-mill Canadian family. Millennial Mona is a woman of passion, having dedicated her entire life to radical climate activism. In a fit of anger against society’s apathy, she takes some drastic measures resulting in legal consequences – a house arrest in her suburban family home. Her mother, Susan (Diane Brown) and father, Rick (Craig Erickson) are well-intentioned folk who do their best to understand and support Mona and her younger sibling Jay (Sherine Menes). Despite being an altruistic eco-warrior, Mona struggles to connect with Jay, who simply wants to stay away from the spotlight of Mona’s public humiliation. Over the span of 90 minutes, the audience gets an amusing sneak peek into the turbulent undercurrents of dysfunction in Mona’s household. Overseen by a disgruntled human-sized frog (Raugi Yu), a great catastrophe unravels in plain sight leaving everyone in an existential daze.
Pippa Mackie has balanced a deeply personal and contemporary story with a dash of political commentary and absurd comedy. A passionate feminist and environmental activist herself, Pippa’s writing of Mona’s character is introspective while leaving space for (some justified) tantrums. The other roles not only complement Mona’s temperament and quirks, but they also inject perspectives that often get clouded in the morally righteous and idealistic discourse that dominates political conversations. Eco-anxiety, a sense of doom and utter outrage at the lack of systemic redress towards climate justice are tackled with dark humor and magical realism. Be it the restless urgency sensed by Mona, Susan’s motherly zeal, the pragmatic conservatism of Rick or Jay’s mental health struggles – the comedic plot impactfully enables audiences to appreciate the flawed individuals without harsh moral judgment. The acting prowess of the cast is beyond admirable. The amazing stage crew has brought to life the sense of magic with props, lighting and set design. Effects such as fog, bright lights and optical illusions are executed deftly to create various moods ranging from mellow psychedelic to overwhelmingly catastrophic. Elements of nudity, brash humor and edgy political takes accentuate the dire reality of society’s elite class unraveling at its sophisticated seams.
These are times when children and young adults are feeling disenchanted with extractive capitalism and neo-colonial wars. But this is also a moment of profound cognitive and cultural renaissance. Community care and grassroots climate justice can take shape in numerous shapes and forms. Watch “Hurricane Mona” to ponder on which aspect or role strikes you deeply.
Presented by Touchstone Theatre and Ruby Slippers Theatre, “Hurricane Mona” is now playing at Historic Theatre, The Cultch from November 22 to December 3, 2023. Book your tickets here.
– Annapoorna Shruthi