Liz Lung Sze | Contributor
Featured image: Dead End uses dark humour and suspense to entertain audiences but also make them critically reflect on how they construct notions of otherness. | Courtesy of Dead End
Our ability to communicate is most often used to separate ourselves from other living beings. It allows us to understand each other more clearly and evokes sympathy toward other humans. One could say it is the most defining trait of humanity.
The question is, then what happens to our view of another life form who is unable to communicate through words or has that ability taken away? Do they become an “it,” something to be overlooked, because they don’t talk like we do? How do we define our own humanity?
But above all these philosophical questions is the most important one: what is there to do when you have one bullet, one granola bar and one zombie blocking the only exit?
Based on Jonny Sun’s play Dead End, director Michael Orlando premises his production on that question. From October 6 to 23, the Theatre Lab brings intimate theatre to the Factory Theatre in Toronto. After two humans barely escape a zombie apocalypse, they contemplate the grander questions of the world as their luck slowly runs out. In this hilarious, heartbreaking and darkly comedic work, Dead End uses storytelling and staging to bring theatre-goers into the world of zombies.
Set in a quaint and dusty school room, a miniscule place carved out from a huge apocalyptic background, the actors draw audiences into a dream world to explore what humanity means and how that meaning differs for everyone.
“I loved working through the moments where the zombie and the other actors had to closely interact,” says Orlando. “I think some of the moments that we built are very funny and truly moving.”
Through laughter, snarky comments and heartfelt emotions comes a wonderfully chaotic world that provokes audiences to look beneath what is being presented to them, to take apart what is on the surface and to try to understand, and possibly sympathize with, living things that seem far removed from our everyday lives.
Dead End is a well put-together play, brilliantly crafted and presented by all involved despite budget limitations.
“Just like most indie theatre, you never have enough time and enough resources. The team that we have put together for this piece has made amazing things happen regardless, by building what we needed and creating custom solutions to problems,” says Orlando.
A smaller budget didn’t translate into a smaller impact. The cast and crew were able to utilize everything from the stage, costumes, set and seating area to animate various parts of the production. While a big budget may have provided more theatrics, Dead End’s resourceful cast and crew created a more intimate and engaging theatrical experience.
Perhaps situations which seem dire can be turned around if one is brave enough to breach the unknown. Are you willing to find out what lies beyond a seemingly bleak dead end?
