The Luxembourg Chronicle got the opportunity to view the dress rehearsal on Monday evening of Greyhounds, a production by Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg at the Nature Elements Am Garage Café in Hollerich (the first of two productions at the venue this year), written by Daryl Lisa Fazio and directed by Erik Abbott.
The 5-scene play features actresses Christine Probst (as Toby) and Rhona Richards (as Mercy) as two women who meet waiting for a Greyhound bus "in the middle of nowhere" - rural Oklahoma. It centres on dialogue between the two protagonists, the extrovert, world-wise and brash Toby, a writer, and the reserved and feminine Mercy, a housewife who does voluntary work, in which they start to unravel each other's background as their conversation evolves.
The roles start to evolve too, and reverse, even when they make a startling discovery when different sides to their personas are revealed. Their backgrounds are revealed as the reasons why they are both running, with their role-playing scene convincing on so many levels. What starts off as two strangers meeting evolves into both understanding the other in ways they could barely have comprehended.
The venue is a former garage which has been transformed into a trendy venue incorporating the Nature Elements Am Garage Café restaurant at the back of the Robin du Lac furniture store. The stage is surprisingly large and the production company has done wonders in transforming one end into a usable space with the audience seated at restaurant tables dotted around the venue. The audio is crystal clear as evidenced by the piped music opening the show; while the lines are delivered clearly and with emotion, the two characters have strong accents in two powerful performances.
Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg is performing Greyhounds from 2-7 June 2015 (2-6 June @ 19:30; 7 June @ 14:30) at the Nature Elements Am Garage Café (inside the Robin du Lac store at 70 Route d'Esch, Luxembourg-Hollerich). Approx 80 minutes duration (no interval). Tickets €20 (students €10), available by email: ActorsRep.Tickets@gmail.com or tel: 356339. Enjoy a delicious dinner from Nature Elements Am Garage café after the show (extra charge - reservations by same email). See www.ActorsRep.lu for further details.
Photo by Geoff Thompson
