In 1994, The Shawshank Redemption hit theatres, and I was all over it. Probably too young to really appreciate it, I still loved the movie. Later purchasing it on DVD, and eventually Blu-Ray, it was always a staple in my movie collection. When I saw that Ottawa Little Theatre was going to be presenting the theatrical version of the story, I jumped at the opportunity to see it on opening night.
The Venue:
Although I have posted multiple reviews for shows that ran at the Ottawa Little Theatre, this was the first time that I’ve been there myself (yes, really!) I love this place! I was immediately impressed with the general vibe walking through the building. From having the front doors held open for me by security to the friendly staff at the bar and in the theatre, it was an amazing experience all around. Everyone working there was happy, kind and friendly. The décor and lighting is perfect, and really creates welcoming ambiance. There’s plenty of space in the lobby to wander around with a drink and mingle with fellow theatre-goers; this audience ranged from young, trendy folks to patrons who appeared to be late seniors.. Drinks are very inexpensive compared to standard craft beer and wine prices, which was a pleasant surprise! Parking is the only disappointing aspect of this venue. There is a lot right behind the theatre where you pay $8.00 to park, but it’s not a big lot, and the alternative is street parking, which can be a bit of a challenge, particularly in the winter. However, that’s par for the course with any downtown venue.
The Show:
Since the film is very popular and well-known, I won’t provide a synopsis. Instead, I’ll focus on the highlights of the production. Being a self-professed Shawshank expert, I was both excited and nervous to see how this would play out (pardon the pun). At 2 hours and 22 minutes, the film is longer than the average movie, and I didn’t see how a scene-by-scene on stage depiction of the film would be possible, nor as enjoyable. But I was pleasantly surprised with the creative adaptation, with the play taking advantage of stage size and various set options to fully tell this story. The show was a perfect mix of line-by-line verbatim from the film and additional scenes not found in the movie, which worked great! Any scene removed from the film was replaced appropriately using other means, so the original story remained intact and nothing was missed. There was, however, one exception: I was very sad to see that there was no attempt to cast Jake, Brooke Hatlen’s pet crow.
The set was exactly what was needed for this performance. While I wouldn’t call it minimalistic, it also wasn’t full of moving parts or elaborate designs. The back drop of prison cells with open space in front allowed the directors and designers to set the necessary scenes without distracting changes. The technical aspects of the show including lighting and sound were also spot on.
With regard to the performance itself, I would offer one trigger warning: there is a sexual assault scene which I found to be very difficult to watch. During intermission, in chatting with other audience members, I learned that they too felt that it was a bit much. While the scene was incredibly powerful and a necessary part of the story, successfully laying the groundwork for subsequent scenes, audience members may want to be aware of this. The use of sound and lights for this scene was exceptional; brilliant, in fact!
Standout Performances:
I don’t think that this show could have been better cast! Each and every actor portrayed their role perfectly! I was genuinely excited to see each character develop! With only thirteen actors, who, for the most part share comparable stage time throughout the play, it’s difficult to select standouts when everyone was excellent. But I will try!
I really enjoyed the character of Rico (Paul Rodriguez), portrayed by Yazen Jaouni. This character provided much-needed comedic relief: he was very funny, and took the edge off of a fairly solemn tale. Jaouni had perfect timing, delivering unexpected interjections flawlessly. I felt that the role definitely added a much needed aspect to the show. It was perfect.
My next standout performance is for two actors: the ‘sisters’ Bogs Diamond (Josh Kemp) and Rooster (Lawrence Evenchick). Kemp did an amazing job, and really excelled portraying the terrifying protagonist Bogs. Both Kemp and Evenchick did an excellent job in their respective roles, torturing and tormenting the character of Andy Dufresne. In the aforementioned sexual assault scene, these two were instrumental; it is a truly gifted performer that can execute a scene as challenging as this as well as the two of them did.
Lastly for standout performances was Riley Steward in his portrayal of Red; I very much enjoyed his performance. Similarly to the film, Red was active in nearly every scene, providing narration throughout the show. Stewart is an exceptional actor, and I can’t say enough about his performance in this. During the final scene, he really tugged on the audience’s heart strings in a true tear-jerker moment, which I won’t elaborate on in the interest of avoiding spoilers.
I must also acknowledge Dawson Fleming, who portrayed the lead character Andy Dufresne. In the film, Dufresne is a quiet, easygoing individual who mostly keeps to himself. In that sense, Fleming nailed the character. He was also absolutely incredible portraying Dufresne in crisis mode, notably the sexual assault scene and when he was being choked on the roof of the license plate factory. He seems to excel in these dramatic scenes, but unfortunately, the character of Andy does not lend itself to many of these in this show. So I hope to see Fleming have the opportunity to portray dramatic characters in the future, where the fullness of his acting skills can be utilized.
Also deserving of shoutouts are Steve Love portraying Bryan Hadley, Sean Dwyer in his portrayal of Warden Stammas, Grant Moore in the role of Tommy Williams, and Neil Kelly as Brooks Hatlen. All four of these actors were amazing in their roles, and also perfect when compared to their respective film counterparts. Well done all around!
As mentioned, I absolutely loved the set, which was designed by Joanne Farrell. It was simple yet practical, without appearing low budget. The sound and lights were flawless, so a shoutout to Riley Stewart for sound, as well as Doug George and Charlie Inglish for the lighting. I also really loved the costumes (designed by Peggy Campbell); they perfectly suited the era and the setting.
All in all, I loved the show! It encompassed all the best elements of the film (aside from the lack of Jake). highly recommend that you get out to see this play. It runs February 26th – March 15th with evening shows Wednesday through Saturday, and matinees Sunday afternoons. Tickets are around $32, a great value for such an incredible show. Enjoy!
