Giant Invisible Robot from the 2006 Fringe (see my review here) was one of my all time favorites, so I had high hopes for Trashcan Duet, also written by Jayson McDonald.

It was not as good as I'd hoped.

I was curious about the motivation of both of the characters, but I didn't really come to know them or to care about them: especially Stella, who was so intent on pushing Billy away that the rest of us didn't really get to know her either.

Another thing I wish they had explored more was Billy's legal problems, or at least the root of them. He delivered some great defenses in front of the imaginary judge about how he has no time for jail or money for fines because "my mother is probably ill" and about he was sure the guy who owned the Muffler and Shock Shop had needed to "muffle his shock" at the sight of ... what, we are not really sure.

I also nearly had a heart attack at one point in the performance, because I had sent the residents of the group home I run to see this play the day before I saw it. I usually scout the Fringe carefully and ask the performers if they think their play is suitable for teens ... who have their own highly successful drug and prostitution businesses ... but I hadn't had a chance to ask around about this one, and had deemed it "safe" based on it predecessor.

About halfway through, the female lead turns to the male lead and says:

"Why don't you kiss me? ... *kiss* ... Why don't you take off your pants?"

Oh my God ... what sort of a play is this?

"Take those off, too .... you're not going to need them".

OH ... MY ... GOD. Steal his pants and run away. Steal his pants and run away. Steal his pants and ...

"Psych!" *steals his pants and runs away laughing*

*huge sigh of relief*

Of course, if the scene had gone the way the male lead likely predicted, it's not as if my clients would be ... strangers ... to that type of a situation: or above shouting out useful tips and techniques to the female lead.

Trash Can Duet
Black Sheep Theatre
Victoria School Attic
4 stars out of 5

Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Girl utterly rejects boy. Boy obsessively chases girl to the point of stalking.

Girl - well, telling what the girl does next would ruin the ending.

And this is a show that should not be wrecked for potential audiences.

Trash Can Duet is the story of an courtship reminiscent of Archie and Veronica, Sam and Diane and the Taming of the Shrew - just with more profanity. The "hard to get" angle is tried and true, but this Fringe performance gives it a fresh and edgy twist.

The storyline centres on Stella, the snarly beat poet, and Billy, the loser prone to legal problems. They meet in a coffee shop, where they begin a series of exchanges that are unsuccessful for Billy, but highly entertaining for the crowd.

These are well-drawn characters getting themselves in a mess most of us find familiar. And it is all performed with engaging simplicity and acumen.

Watching Stella verbally smack Billy around is a pleasure. The chemistry between actors Michael Showler and Adrienne McGrath creates a fantastic tension. Showler takes a guy who could simply be a pitiful loser and makes the crowd root for his success.

Bursts of poetry from McGrath's character are a highlight. The poems are sharp, fun and useful in showing Stella is more than a bitter, coffee-swilling tease.

The Fringe guidebook refers to this as a comic drama, which is somewhat misleading. Consider it heavy on the comic. But Trash Can Duet should be considered, period, by festival-goers this year.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008