Scary people, stamp collecting, and family dynamics take centre stage in the Vagabond Players’ latest production.
Mauritius, the Vagabond Players’ first play of the 2024/2025 season, runs Sept. 19 to Oct. 6. It takes place Thursday to Sunday at the Bernie Legge Theatre in Queen’s Park.
“Mauritius is a dark comedy centred around Jackie, a young woman who’s lived a sheltered life caring for her recently deceased mother,” said a synopsis. “She’s been left a book of stamps which may or may not be valuable – and may belong to her older half-sister Mary, who’s been absent through the years of their mother’s illness. When Jackie makes a secret deal with shady characters, she unleashes deep resentments among all involved.”
Mauritius, written by Theresa Rebeck, is being directed by Chris Schuessler.
Schuessler, who performed in a Vagabond Players production last year, lives in the neighbourhood.
“It's a beautiful little theatre with a great tradition,” he said, “and it's a privilege to be a part of it.”
Schuessler had seen the Broadway production of Mauritius in 2007 and believes it’s a play that will appeal to local audiences.
“It stuck with me as a great play for actors, with a riveting plot and a surprising ending. It's about inheritance and family dynamics, which is very relatable. It's about people using sentimentality as a weapon,” he said. “And it's also about a hyper-passionate subculture – stamp collecting. But the main draw is the moxie of the main character, Jackie, a 22-year-old woman who's been through a lot of pain and finds the courage to stand up to some scary people.”
Schuessler said the roles are very challenging and attracted some talented performers to audition.
“I'm thrilled with our cast. They've worked hard on filling in the details of their characters and understanding what's behind their desperation to win, and what weapons they're using in these emotional battles with each other,” he said in a news release. “The play is an actor's dream, and it's been a blast to watch them bring it to life.”
Schuessler noted that playwright Theresa Rebeck has said that most of her plays are about people behaving badly.
“These five characters are all desperate to win the big prize, and it's revealing to see what lengths they'll go to. There's a lot of comedy in the tension and the tactics they use,” Schuessler said. “It reminds me of Succession or Game of Thrones, where you can't really defend the characters but they're really fun to watch. It's a great popcorn play.”
More information and tickets are available on the Vagabond Players website. Tickets are also available by calling 604-521-0412
