George F. Walker’s Fierce, presented by the Moss Theatre Collective and Alumnae Theatre Company, is a darkly comedic exploration of human vulnerability, therapy, and unconventional healing.
Directed by Walker, the play, which debuted in 2018, depicts the fireworks that ensue when the recalcitrant Jayne (Elizabeth Friesen), recently released from prison after a public disturbance, arrives in the office of therapist Maggie (Liz Best) for court-ordered therapy. What begins as a clinical interaction turns into a cat-and-mouse game where the characters veer between aggression, manipulation and moments of strange, unexpected connection.
Walker, one of Canada’s most prolific playwrights, is known for his exploration of socio-political themes through dark humour. This production fits comfortably within his oeuvre: it features characters on the margins of society, and challenges us with scenarios that disrupt common assumptions – in this case, about trauma, addiction, power and human behavior.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Fierce is the way it subverts the usual therapist-patient dynamic. It opens with a clear and aggressively-asserted division of authority between the educated, properly dressed Maggie – who as the therapist is holding all the cards — and Jayne, who is down and out and at her mercy. But it upends these poles and evolves into a more volatile dynamic that is dysfunctionally collaborative and even co-dependent. Jayne and Maggie may have ended up on different sides of the therapist’s couch, but they much in common. Fragile yet fierce, they are both carrying deeply buried traumas. And they’re equally at home probing and antagonizing one other, treating and being treated.
The performances are engrossing. Elizabeth Friesen brings a destabilizing mix of raw energy, sly wheedling and unexpected vulnerability to her portrayal of Jayne. Liz Best’s Maggie is more monotone, brittle and unpleasant . . . but as the story unfolds, we understand this more as an outcome of her backstory than a bug in the actor’s performance. Put together, this pair form a compelling odd couple who draw us into their unsettling push-and-pull, which yields equally surprising breakthroughs and breakdowns.
The show takes place in the upstairs performance space at the Alumnae Theatre building. Set Designer & Builder Douglas Tiller deserves special mention for the sterile modern cosiness he achieves in nestling Maggie’s office into the space beneath the theatre’s arched roof. Combined with Daniel Shiels’ sharp lighting and Andrew Honor’s sound design, the technical elements of the production facilitate and heighten the tension between the two characters.
Despite the strong performances and technical proficiency, Fierce poses one curious challenge. The script packs vast, complex relationship-building and backstory into its tight 80-minute package. Within that compression are moments where – despite yeoman’s work by the actors — the characters’ motivations and actions seem to shift suddenly, in ways that challenge our suspension of disbelief but move the characters and the plot forward.
As an audience, the question is what to do with this. If you’re absorbed in the gritty, realistic depiction of this unconventional therapeutic relationship, you may see these moments as a failure of the script. But perhaps we’re being asked to consider a larger point: just as we make sudden and inexplicable choices that sabotage our health, so, too, do we have the capacity – and perhaps sometimes the need — for equally puzzling leaps that enable it.
Ultimately, Fierce is an intense psychological dance that plays with our expectations and perceptions of therapy, human connection and even theatre. Whether you ultimately leave unsettled, enthralled or even annoyed, this production is guaranteed to command your attention and reward it with a unique and thought-provoking experience.
Fierce runs until September 21, 2024 at Alumnae Theatre, offering Toronto audiences the chance to see one of Walker’s newer works brought to life by a talented new team of artists. Visit mosstheatrecollective.ca to reserve tickets.
© Scott Sneddon, SesayArts Magazine, 2024
