Toronto Review: 'Copy That' Tarragon Theatre Premiere
Joe Szekeres, Chief Toronto Critic
Jason Sherman’s world premiere of ‘Copy That’ deals with the writers of a network television police drama and many of the issues that cross the paths of the individuals involved. There’s another meaning behind ‘copy that’. A good friend of mine uses the term if I send him a text, and he responds with the understanding he received it, accepts it and all is good.
For me, there was so much that is good about this story once I entered the Mainspace. I loved hearing the 70s and 80s cop show themes (I recognized Charley’s Angels and Hawaii Five O). Thanks, Thomas Ryder Payne, for taking me back to my teenage years and those cold nights when I didn’t want to go out and just entered the world of television police dramas and stories Hollywood style. Rachel Forbes’s set design and décor of cluttered desks, office basketball net and chairs that have seen obviously seen many ‘behinds’ indicated the room has been used for a long time. I especially liked how the chairs delineated a pecking order – the show runner, Peter, gets the most comfortable leather chair and all the way to the new kids, Maia and Colin, who don’t have as comfortable chairs.
On the back wall and far stage right are two boards, one a cork and the other white, where the ideas for the scripts are flushed out further. It took me a few minutes to get used to the coding of the cork board which referred to the fleshing out of the plots while the white board was used to flesh out the character developmental arcs for each episode.
I did like the intrigue behind Jason Sherman’s script. During the first ten minutes, I liked the rough, cocky banter among the four characters. At times, the banter is funny as hell. It’s also harshly visceral which made me cringe and reminded me of similar word play dialogue in David Mamet’s ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’. I found some of the twists Mr. Sherman’s script took were a tad jarring at times, but they did make sense as the plot progressed further.
Performances are top notch. Jamie Robinson’s sharp direction delineates five distinct, albeit rough edged, individuals whom I wanted to get to know even further. Yes, these five people do show their nasty side many times; however, the politics of behind the scenes of network television can be rather nasty at times as I discovered at the Q and A following the performance.
As senior show runner Peter, Richard Waugh’s gravel edged voice worked nicely for me. Peter is a man who has obviously done a great deal of talking and schmoozing over his years in network television. Although I have no proof, I’m sure there were times that network executives and writers have probably taken a few ‘liquid lunches’ in their wheeling and dealing. Mr. Waugh’s Peter brought a boozy voiced, individual who spoke his mind and had no hesitation in sharing his ideas with others, except when he spoke with top network executive, Elsa (Janet-Laine Green).
Ms. Green does not make a physical appearance until Act 2; however, in only hearing her voice on the phone throughout Act 1, Ms. Green magnificently captured a bossy, bitchy, know it all executive who could bust some you know what in a supposedly male dominated world of television. When Ms. Green finally made her appearance at her desk in Act 2, it was bliss to watch a master in action. For nearly ten minutes, she commanded the stage as she sat in her office chair with erect posture but just knew how to take Peter on.
A strong confident performance from Jeff Lillico as Danny. Here is a man who is wiling to do whatever it takes to get ahead in this business of writing for television. At one point, Mr. Lillico beautifully reminds Danny of his place in the pecking order when he tells him, “You have to learn how to write for television.” There is an equally strong bold performance from Tony Ofori as Colin especially after he is arrested with Maia in the back seat while driving home one night. For me, this is where the story became quite jarring at times as there are numerous surprises regarding how Colin deals with the effects in the aftermath and how this event became fodder in their work room and possibly being used as a televised episode about systemic racism. Heavy, heavy stuff, but there was so much Mr. Ofori’s work was believably convincing.. At one point, I was so caught up in the events of Act 2 that a sudden surprise certainly made me sit upright with tension.
As Maia, the young, inexperienced, new girl ‘by the book’ school of writing, Emma Ferreria’s subdued performance (in a world of men who appear to not listen to her) make her appear even more valuable to be part of the team. Yes, Maia is hired by Elsa for the female approach to the characters; nevertheless, Ms. Ferreira slowly builds a confident Maia to the point where I was rooting for her in Act 2 when she tells Peter, “Will you for once just listen”. I was ready to applaud at that moment, and I should have now that I think about it more.
FINAL COMMENTS: Periodically the term VOICE came up throughout the play. I found this intriguing as I was really trying to figure out whose story this is. I don’t want to spoil it for future audiences, but I thought this story supported one particular character’s voice. Thank goodness I stayed for the Q and A as I was mistaken on that account.
If there is a Q and A after the performance you attend, I would most heartily recommend you stay for it. I learned so much.
COPY THAT
Continues to December 8, 2019 at Tarragon Theatre, Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto. For further information contact www.tarragontheatre.com or 1-416-531-1827.
Performance runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes approximately with one intermission.
Writer: Jason Sherman; Director: Jamie Robinson; Set and Costume Designer: Rachel Forbes; Lighting Designer: Jareth Li; Sound Designer: Thomas Ryder Payne; Fight Director: Simon Fon; Stage Manager: Robin Munro
Performers: Emma Ferreira; Janet Laine-Green, Jeff Lillico, Tony Ofori, Richard Waugh
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. Left-Right: Jeff Lillico, Richard Waugh, Emma Ferreria and Tony Ofori.