White Rock’s Ashley Chodat is one of the stars of Detroit, current production (April 6-27) of New Westminster’s venerable Vagabond Players group.
Chodat – who wowed Vagabond Players audiences with previous roles in You Can’t Take It With You and Charley’s Aunt – appears as the dysfunctional Sharon in Lisa D’Amour’s dark comedy, described in a release as “suburban angst at its most entertaining.”
Respectable, apparently well-to-do couple Ben and Mary (Kurtis Maguire and Natalie Schrieber) invite new neighbours Sharon and Kenny (Alex Ross) over for a barbecue. They soon discover that their guests are unemployed, don’t have any furniture to their name and met in rehab.
But all is not as it seems with Ben and Mary either – Ben has lost his job as a loan officer and is now doing debt counselling online, while Mary’s salary as a paralegal isn’t enough to meet their bills.
A study in social and economic tensions simmering just under the surface of the traditional North American backyard party, Detroit also features Warren Johnson in the role of Uncle Frank.
Performances are Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at the Bernie Legge Theatre in Queen’s Park, New Westminster (with a warning of coarse language, mature themes, depiction of drinking and drug references).
Tickets ($17, $15 for seniors, youth) are available at vagabondplayers.ca/tickets or call 604-521-0412.
