BWW Reviews: The Script Tease Project

The National Theatre of the World are back for their third year of presenting THE SCRIPT TEASE PROJECT, a hilarious and entirely improvised theatrical experience where they get famous playwrights to write two pages of a brand new play, to be improvised with suggestions and input from the audience.

This is The National Theatre of the World's first year as Soulpepper Artists in Residence, and all week they've been delighting audiences with their unique blend of improv, comedy, and thetare. The NTOW (comprised of Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus) wrangled up an impressive list of playwrights to deliver unique material each night: Judith Thompson, Richard Greenblatt, Guillermo Verdecchia, Zaib Shaikh, Jason Sherman, Lewis Black and Rick Mercer.

The concept behind Script Tease is brilliantly simply. The playwrights pen only the first two pages of a play - effectively, a 'tease'. The pages are sealed in an envelope and Snieckus and Baram are only given basic direction in order to prep (think along the lines of what props they should have and what outfits they should wear). On the night of the performance, the pair engage with the audience and obtain material to inject into the story (current events, personal stories etc) and then the house lights dim and the first two pages are read aloud. After that - it's game on and the remaining 5o minutes are improvised based on audience suggestion and those incredibly important (and sometimes equally kooky) two pages.

I attended the last two 'teases' of their week-long engagement, which took place as back to back sold out shows on Saturday night. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to see two shows in one evening, because it gave me a deeper appreciation for how much originality and thought goes into each performance.

The first writer was frequent 'Daily Show' guest and comedian Lewis Black, who wrote a script entitled a show NOT written by Lewis Black - THE WINDOW (or sans cuisine) by Louis Noir. We see Snieckus and Baram in a oddly outfitted green room (there's coffee, apples and high heeled shoes), Baram is without pants, wearing one shoe and one sock, and Snieckus is in her skivvies. As if improvisation wasn't scary enough, the duo were essentially 'abandoned' by playwright Black who commits suicide on the second page leaving them to make up the rest of the story.

The second show was by Canadian treasure Rick Mercer and entitled 'Opposites Attract'. Mercer had penned a delightful two page intro that set Baram and Snieckus up for a hilarious examination of Canadian politics. This was where the duo showed why they are so electric together. The banter was first rate, and the sheer volume of political and national references they exploited was mind boggling. We got everything from a new National Anthem (We See Thee Rise is 'far too phallic'), to Olivia Chow references, talk of shaved golden doodles and crackberry addictions. They even managed to sneak in a reference to John Malkovich's saving of a Toronto's man life which occured just this past weekend, which Snieckus cleverly suggested was 'the most brilliant publicity stunt ever'. Moments like this showcase not only the duo's impressive improv skills, but also cement the fact that The Script Tease Project is literally the most current play you will ever see.

As an audience member they challenge you, requiring not only your undivided attention but also your personal commitment to being at least marginally aware of current events and important issues going on in our city. They entertain and they make you laugh, but they also make you think. And they do it all without a script, working off each other and essentially 'playing' with the audience.

In an age where it's hard to get people to go to the theatre, and harder still to keep their attention while they're there, The National Theatre of the World is something to be celebrated. They engage their audience while keeping them incredibly engrossed, and have found a way to excite and encourage a new generation to attend live theatre in Toronto. They may be one of our best unkept secrets, and I hope this is only the beginning.

Follow The National Theatre of the world on Twitter at @the_ntow and visit their website at http://www.thenationaltheatreoftheworld.com/Welcome.html. Their next show is June 26th at The Drake and details can be found on their website.

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