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2012 Toronto Fringe Festival: Then He Wakes Up

Life is but a dream in Matthew Sarookanian’s quirky new play

By Lauren Gillett • July 17, 2012

Presented by Twisted Chaos Productions
Written by Matthew Sarookanian
Directed by Joanne Williams

Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something new and different? Matthew Sarookanian explores this theme in his 40-minute absurdist play Then He Wakes Up, a NOW Magazine Critic’s Pick at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival.

Henry (played by the amusingly tense Jordan Mechano) waits for the bus on the way to a job he hates. His usual routine is interrupted by Felix (the adorably awkward Sarookanian), a strange man who stands perfectly still and seems to know an awful lot about Henry’s life. Felix claims that he wants to be friends to stop Henry from killing him…and, well, things get complicated.

Featuring eccentric performances by Mechano, Sarookanianm, Perrie Olthuis (as Henry’s childhood crush Daisy) and Alex Sims as his overbearing father, Then He Wakes Up is a well-paced, whimsical and thought-provoking production about the importance of realizing our dreams. Let’s hope it makes another appearance on stage soon.

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