Diving Normal

This dark, offbeat comedy will make your head swim

Presented by Red One Theatre Collective/Tuning Puck Co-op
Written by Ashlin Halfnight
Directed by David Tompa

L to R: Mark Roeder, Dani Kind and Mark Wiebe in Diving Normal. Photo credit: Dylan George.

The Toronto Free Gallery (1277 Bloor Street West) is half exhibit space, half intimate theatre in a converted hardware store at Lansdowne and Bloor. The edgy venue lends itself nicely to Red One Theatre Collective/Tuning Puck Co-op’s latest production, the Canadian premiere of Diving Normal by Toronto native Ashlin Halfnight. The play explores themes of loneliness, friendship, addiction, sex, betrayal and unrequited love. Excited yet?

Set in present-day New York City, this provocative three-hander focuses on the relationship between three twenty-somethings: Fulton (Mark Roeder), an emerging graphic novelist; his secretive high school crush Dana (Dani Kind); and Gordon (Mark Wiebe), Fulton’s socially awkward neighbour. The play takes place in Fulton’s Manhattan apartment, where Dana turns up out of the blue one night with a mysterious cut on her eye. Fulton invites her to spend the night and sparks begin to fly.

The next day, Dana awakes to find Fulton’s neighbour Gordon watching over her. At first she’s a bit freaked out, but Dana soon discovers that Gordon means no harm, he’s different. Kind to a fault, and completely literal, Gordon displays textbook signs of Asperger’s disorder. Dana is immediately fond of Fulton’s strange friend and the three of them have breakfast together.

Soon Dana’s overnight visits become a regular thing. In the mornings Gordon joins them for breakfast, treating them to his famous omelettes, and on Sundays Dana watches Gordon dive at the YMCA. They seem like the perfect urban family. But, something isn’t right with Dana. Gordon notices that she has suspicious bruises on her body and one night she shows up at Fulton’s apartment high on pills. Later, Fulton goes to a wedding in L.A. and everything comes together in a shocking climax.

David Tompa’s simple, sexy production boasts strong performances all around. Kind flexes her acting chops as the raw and vulnerable Dana, commanding our attention in every scene. Roeder, in his professional theatre debut, delivers an emotional performance as Fulton, the lovable heart of the threesome. Then we have Wiebe’s scene-stealing, hilarious and surprisingly moving portrayal of Gordon. Reminiscent of Sheldon Cooper’s character in The Big Bang Theory, Gordon is the obvious audience favourite, and Wiebe shows impressive commitment to the role.

Take the plunge and discover Diving Normal before it closes on April 23, 2011. For more information and to buy tickets visit redonetheatre.com.

• Tweet