There's almost always one person in a family who, by watching, you can learn a lot about the unit as a whole.
That is certainly the case with Iris, the adult child in the upcoming Between Shifts Theatre play, Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, playing April 9 to 13 at Eagle Eye Community Theatre.
Set in the early 1960s, with the backdrop of the tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis—the closest to a nuclear war the world came during the Cold War—it focuses on young Iris, who is distraught over the death of her goldfish.
She discovers a man who has been washed up on the beach and is convinced he is her reincarnated fish, so she brings him home.
Through her eyes, we see her dysfunctional family.
Local Janice Carroll directs the dramedy by Canadian playwright Morris Panych—which is set in Steveston.
"I was a kid during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and I remember doing drills and all that kind of thing. We were afraid that the big bomb was going to happen," said Kathy Daniels, who co-founded Between Shifts about three decades ago, and is co-producing this performance with Laura Funa.
Sara Marrocco plays adult Iris.
Kelly Ann Woods plays Iris's mom, Sylvia; Tommy Davies plays her dad; Amy Reid plays outspoken house boarder, Miss Rose.
Mr. Lawrence, the man who washes up on shore, is played by John Cousins.
Nancy Thompson designed the sets.
Everyone in the family is in their own little worlds and not really paying attention to the feelings of little 10-year-old Iris, notes Daniels.
"Nobody takes into account how much she was attached to this fish," she said. "And why was she attached to this fish? Because there weren't many other attachments going on, right?"
While the play is not farcical, Daniels said it is a bit absurdist.
"You will laugh. It's funny. Even though this is a strange family, people will see some things from their [own] family, for sure. But I find it quite whimsical. I think it's quite beautiful," she said.
Daniels said it is suitable for audiences at least 14 and up, who can catch the more adult humour.
She hopes theatregoers come away with the same feelings she had when she first read the play.
"I was charmed. And I was intrigued."
Tickets are available now. Thursday night is a "pay what you can" performance.
Name change
Between Shifts Theatre is soon going to be unveiling a new name. They have collected suggestions online.
"When Mark McConkey and I started this theatre group back in 1993, between shifts, was exactly what it meant. We were both working full-time; he was the lawyer, and I was working at Sea to Sky Community Services. And it was sort of like when we could find time kind of thing," Daniels said.
Today, the theatre company is crafting even more high-quality performances with professionals dedicated to their craft.
"[Between Shifts] doesn't really reflect who we are anymore. We have quite a number of people who are professional and semi-professional, associated with it, who have lived in the theatre or the film world ... we have a number of people are actually certified in their fields and that kind of thing," Daniels added.
She said there have been some great names submitted.
The new name will be unveiled soon.
