By Jess Wind (The Cascade) – Email
Domestic Misconduct
Written and directed by Darcy Knopp (UFV)
Running time: 60 minutes (runs about 10 minutes long)
Showings: Saturday at 8:10 p.m. and Sunday at 6:35 p.m.
Memorable lines: “That was as brilliant as it was offensive”
“If men could figure out how to win and argument using our rhetoric, they wouldn’t have needed to deny us the vote”
Warning: sexual content, coarse language
During the dreaded winter of the NHL lockout, a couple fails to communicate with each other and enter into a lockout of their own. Dean and Lissa forget to appreciate each other and instead cling bitterly to their pride. The show is peppered full of statements coming from both sides of the gender war.
The situation that the main characters find themselves in is certainly relatable, even if the dialogue came off scripted at times. Unfortunately, no one has that many good one-liners in the middle of a heated argument. The lockout metaphor worked well in the beginning, but could have been carried further through the script.
Catchy pop music set the audience up for a fun script and provided transitions between scenes. The fact that the set required almost no changes allowed the rapid-fire dialogue to continue to pour from the actors. Geneva Perkins lets fly a monologue with precise pronunciation and emotion.
The shining moment in this show was during a game of Cranium played on stage. The questions on the cards provided space for dynamic character development and Melissa Harris’ projected ability to hum k.d. lang was impressive.
Domestic Misconduct embellished real elements of relationships through snappy one-liners and bold gendered statements and is a must-see for entertainment and camaraderie regarding the still sore wounds of the NHL lockout.
