This play is taboo
( Tuesday, June 25, 2002 Town Crier Newspaper)
By Andrew Matte

When you drop a fish into a fishbowl, it's kind of like it's instantly on stage.

It's just left there to remain suspended in clear water for anyone to inspect from all sides. And a goldfish in a fishbowl is rarely granted a rock or plastic, faceless scuba diver to hide behind.

At a feisty theatre group in the Beach, its directors work at dropping ideas and subjects into the proverbial fishbowl — taking subjects, often odd, adult or otherwise taboo — and putting them on display for audiences to examine.

Fishbowl Theatre (get it?) is gearing up for another ambitious project and the cerebral probing into what society admits to only reluctantly.

"Fishbowl was created specifically to present plays that revolve around the taboo," says company founder Chloe Ariane Whitehorn, adding that her group is "dedicated to creating shows that entertain audiences, disturbing and inspiring them."

So it should come as no surprise that the play Criminal Hearts, which will be unveiled at the Fringe Festival at the Poor Alex Theatre, comes with a warning that the show might not be suitable for all play-goers.

There is "some violence," as well as offensive language, sexual situations.

Oh, and gunfire too.

The play is about how two unlikely people meet and form a friendship and then explore a collection of taboo subjects, among them lust, revenge and society-imposed stereotypes.

The play, authored by Jane Martin in 1992, revolves around the interaction between a socialite and a thief — Bo, a burglar, attempts to rob Ata by breaking into her condominium. Trouble is, Ata, a well-to-upscale sort, is broke and destitute after her husband leaves her and takes all of their belongings.

The two form a friendship (remember the warning about sexual situations?) and then work together to seek retribution against Ata's cheating husband. Ata realizes a newfound freedom thanks to her "lust for payback."

"Each character has so many layers and hides themselves from the others so well that only the audience can see each character's true self," said co-producer Cat Ratusny.

"That sort of deception and complexity is a lot of fun as an actor to play and for an audience to watch."

The play is directed by Martina Kuska and Andrea Stark. Performances are by Ratusny, Whitehorn, Kevin Fox, Trevor Hayes and Melanie Moore.