In my opinion, the best play of the Fringe Festival was Homeless, written and performed by Jeremy Baumung and directed by Ken Brown. Homeless is the story of Jeremy's work at an Edmonton homeless shelter after growing up in Saskatoon. He convincingly plays more than ten different roles. The language and subject matter is coarse and extreme, but quite realistic, according to some of the clients that I brought from work. This is definitely not a "feel good" show, but it has an important message that I think everyone should hear.
HOMELESS
Joanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix
Rating: 5
At the end of Jeremy Baumung's first performance of Homeless Friday afternoon, at least two young women were doubled over in their chairs, weeping. Inconsolable. Unable to leave without receiving comfort.
I cried, too.
I wonder if Baumung, now of Edmonton but originally from Saskatoon, knows how topical his play is here, where homelessness has become more of an issue than ever before.
In any case, a play that can twist your heart like this one is a rarity, especially when the actor can show you, as much as tell you, what the issues are.
Young Jeremy, growing up in Saskatoon, is a bit of a nerdy innocent. He's afraid of homeless people, drug addicts and hookers. When he grows up, however, he works in a homeless shelter, where we meet a heart-breaking group of people terribly, sadly down on their luck.
They're all addicts, of one kind or another. They've been abused and ignored and were elsewhere when luck was handed out. Maureen's story is devastating. Mike is sweet and sad. Terry's harder to like, but you still relate to his story. Martin's a pain in the neck.
Baumung plays them all (and wrote them all), crisply distinguishing one character from the other; and he also plays himself. It's a devastating view of life in the shelter, with a peek at how it's even worse on the street.
The show is also about Baumung's faith, and how he had to leave the church to learn who God was.
The opening is shockingly violent, if that's possible with one man on the stage, and features the most filthy language you can imagine. It's appropriate to the play, but possibly not to the 12 and under set. Also, the ending is maudlin and manipulative, and needs to be workshopped. Otherwise, Homeless is a searing piece of theatre that will get you in the gut, and quite possibly the tear ducts.
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
HOMELESS
Joanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix
Rating: 5
At the end of Jeremy Baumung's first performance of Homeless Friday afternoon, at least two young women were doubled over in their chairs, weeping. Inconsolable. Unable to leave without receiving comfort.
I cried, too.
I wonder if Baumung, now of Edmonton but originally from Saskatoon, knows how topical his play is here, where homelessness has become more of an issue than ever before.
In any case, a play that can twist your heart like this one is a rarity, especially when the actor can show you, as much as tell you, what the issues are.
Young Jeremy, growing up in Saskatoon, is a bit of a nerdy innocent. He's afraid of homeless people, drug addicts and hookers. When he grows up, however, he works in a homeless shelter, where we meet a heart-breaking group of people terribly, sadly down on their luck.
They're all addicts, of one kind or another. They've been abused and ignored and were elsewhere when luck was handed out. Maureen's story is devastating. Mike is sweet and sad. Terry's harder to like, but you still relate to his story. Martin's a pain in the neck.
Baumung plays them all (and wrote them all), crisply distinguishing one character from the other; and he also plays himself. It's a devastating view of life in the shelter, with a peek at how it's even worse on the street.
The show is also about Baumung's faith, and how he had to leave the church to learn who God was.
The opening is shockingly violent, if that's possible with one man on the stage, and features the most filthy language you can imagine. It's appropriate to the play, but possibly not to the 12 and under set. Also, the ending is maudlin and manipulative, and needs to be workshopped. Otherwise, Homeless is a searing piece of theatre that will get you in the gut, and quite possibly the tear ducts.
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
posted by Karen | Sunday, August 12, 2007
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