" The six-person ensemble cast delivers credible performances. They are real people. Issues with the script, as it examines the sacred institution of marriage, are personally challenging for me. But that's what good theatre does.  It makes me ponder further why I view the institution as a sacrament."

It has been a privilege to watch Stratford's Here for Now Theatre's (HFN) growth from under the tent to inside their new digs in town. While the company prides itself on feminist theatre, with a focal point on women as protagonists, men can also leave just as indelible a mark.

Such is the case with Jill Daum's 'Forget About Tomorrow' now playing at the new HFN residence. The play stems from Daum's connection with the group Spirit of the West and her involvement with one of the musicians.

Peter Pasyk pushes boundaries in his bold direction of Daum's impactful script. Her story confronts personal, family, and work-related issues head-on when a character's illness rears its ugly head. Because of this illness, the script challenges audiences to think for themselves as they piece together their reactions to the characters' behaviours.  The result is messy; at least, it is for me when the truth peels back the layers of the story.

'Forget About Tomorrow' remains good theatre as it explores the complexities of comprehending, understanding, and piecing back together a new understanding and perhaps appreciation. However, will HFN schedule an audience talkback? I've found some troublesome issues regarding marriage in the script that might be bothersome to future audiences. I hear there will be at least one, so I'd recommend staying if you're planning to see the show soon. (Note: I hear at least one talkback has been scheduled.)

Billed as a dramatic comedy, the play focuses on Jane (Raquel Duffy), who takes responsibilities in her life seriously.  She works a low-wage job at The Nest, a clothing store with 'knick knacky' ideas, trinkets and ensembles for newborns and toddlers. Her boss and store owner, Lori (Pamela Sinha), often behaves unprofessionally, using unflattering talk and innuendos in the workplace. (Let's not forget the #metoo from a few years ago). A new customer, Wayne (Kevin Bundy), comes to the store to pick up a gift for his first grandchild. He, too, leaves quite a strong impression on Jane. The audience, however, may perceive their interaction in a different light.

Outside her working hours, Jane's home life and her desire to maintain an even keel with her family begin to take a toll on her. Her family has issues. Husband Tom (Geoffrey Pounsett) becomes distant and forgetful, which worries Jane. She had ignored these warning signs in him, but now they've grown further.  Jane and Tom's nearly grown children have their issues. Aaron (Sam Snyders) goes to Montreal to live. Mom struggles to let him go because she discovers his unpreparedness for life in the big city. Aaron doesn't even have a mattress to sleep on in his apartment, and Jane doesn't want him picking up mattresses lying at the curb to save a few bucks. Daughter Wynne (Annie Lockerbie Newton) struggles in her new surroundings as an undergraduate student in Toronto. She experiences difficulties finding friends and is unsure whether she wants to stay. She wants to come home.

The HFN performance space's intimacy allows immediate audience immersion in the story's action. Jung A Im's simple set design establishes a few settings. Stage right, there is a comfortable-looking blue wing-tipped chair with a circular rug and a standing lamp, which becomes the home of Jane and Tom.  Stage left is a kitchen counter, which becomes The Nest's store serving desk (and Jane and Tom's kitchen).  On the back wall are several decorative items from The Nest. There are moments where Aaron, Wynn and Tom will sit on the far stage, right and left.  Louise Guinand's lighting design aptly focuses attention where needed. Individual spotlights on Tom and Jane, as each begins to share their thoughts about the reality of what's going on, nicely underscore the tension.  Verne Good's selection of musical songs at the preshow and in some of the scene transitions are appropriate.

The cast delivers quality performances. They're top-notch actors. I completely bought them as real people.

There's a genuine likeability of Geoffrey Pounsett and Raquel Duffy at the top of the show. He plays guitar and sings a song to her (for their wedding anniversary). She listens intently, and the adoring look Jane gives Tom says it all. When Pounsett forgets a word, Duffy offers one that works.  There's a natural chemistry between the two that you can't help but not like them as a happily married couple who may have had challenges in the past but have worked through them together.

Pounsett makes his illness gradual. Thankfully, he never hits the audience over the head with what's happening to him. Instead, Pounsett allows his face and physical stature to convey what's happening, and my sympathy and empathy for him grow as a result. His lashing out at Jane is forcefully credible and right from his heart. We've all been there before in dealing with familial challenges of this nature.

Sam Snyders and Annie Lockerbie Newton remain typical young people on the thresh of adulthood who want to spread their wings and fly away from home. Sometimes, they don't consider what their parents think. Cruel as that sounds, that's the truth. Snyders and Lockerbie Newton dutifully embody that quality. All this familial tension plays on Jane's mind, and Duffy remains calm. She keeps it together and becomes the major stable force at home and even at The Nest in dealing with the store owner's erratically overt sexual behaviour and innuendo.

Pamela Sinha and Kevin Bundy are terrific performers. The two of them know a thing or two about timing for comic and dramatic effect, and they showcase it effectively in 'Tomorrow.' Duffy's Jane is aware of how suggestive and aggressive Sinha's Lori can be. At first, it's a riot to hear all the innuendo come out full throttle for comic effect. But that scripted dialogue soon wears thin and tiring, and Sinha's Lori comes across as horribly shallow. Bundy's Wayne appears to be the nice guy who's checking out the store because it's new. One can't help but like Wayne because he's an initially shy widower who, at first, might appear to be craving attention due to his loneliness and lack of social connections. Yet when he intentionally leaves his ball cap in the store to return, there's an indication of his motives that does not sit right with me either.

Here's where the issues of Daum's script pose questions.

Marriage is not treated at all well by Lori, Wayne, and Jane. That's a massive problem for me. Lori's advertent sexual nature and continued running around behind her unsuspecting husband's back initially is comical, but it wears thin after a while. It does not sit right. Lori makes a fool out of her unseen husband, and that's just plain wrong. Wayne ventures into territory of which he should be the wiser, but he's not. The same occurs with Duffy's Jane. Yes, Jane is exhausted, tired, frustrated and frazzled, given Tom's illness.  These reactions are all normal and part of the journey that caregivers experience.

The three appear to have forgotten the vows they made to their spouses years ago – 'for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part.' Regardless of the context, what Lori, Jane, and Wayne do is wrong, plain and simple.  They have not remained true to their word in the promise they have made. The final conversation between Jane and Tom regarding their marriage does not sit right with me again. It's over too quickly. Real life is not like this at all.

Yes, tomorrow is never a sure thing, but Wayne, Lori and Jane are going to have to deal with what they have done today, too.

Final Comments: I applaud this cast for their adept handling of the subject matter for the most part. Pasyk takes a relish in making people think for themselves. He wants audiences to ponder whether what they might believe to be true now becomes questionable. He has done this with other shows as well. His vision of 'Hamlet' a few years ago at the Stratford Festival comes to mind. I applaud him and all those directors (and actors) who get audiences to think for themselves, as messy as it can be.

There are times when pushing boundaries leads to learning and appreciating something new. 'Forget About Tomorrow' is one opportunity. 

Just make sure opportunities for discussion about the play are available, whether at the theatre or in a group setting. Did someone say the bar?

Running time: approximately 80 minutes with no interval/intermission.

'Forget About Tomorrow' has been extended to July 6 at Here for Now Theatre, 24 St. Andrew Street, Stratford. For tickets, herefornowtheatre.com or call (519) 272-4368

HERE FOR NOW THEATRE presents
The Ontario Premiere of

FORGET ABOUT TOMORROW by Jill Daum

Directed by Peter Pasyk
Set/Costume: Jung A Im
Lighting: Louise Guinand
Composer: John Mann
Sound: Verne Good
Stage Manager: Wendy Ewert

Performers: Kevin Bundy, Raquel Duffy, Annie Lockerbie Newton, Geoffrey Pounsett, Pamela Sinha, Sam Snyders.