REVIEW: Snapshot

Gruppo Rubato is celebrating their 10th anniversary down in the GCTC Studio with the world premiere play from an emerging local playwright. It’s the story of an man and his granddaughter trying to make sense of life following the death of the man’s wife. 

Should you see it?


Snapshot is a heartfelt drama about simply trying to figure it all out.  
Gruppo Rubato presents Karen Balcome's Snapshot, directed by Patrick Gauthier

Peter Froehlich as Dalton and Teddy Ivanova as Charlie in Gruppo Rubato’s Snapshot

Snapshot opens with Dalton, an elderly man whose wife, Leona, died only days before, wondering if its worth going on without her. Really, he’s already made his decision and is ready to take matters into his own hands until, enter Charlie, sent by her mother to help Dalton sort through his wife’s affairs. Over the next two hours of Karen Balcome’s well-written and heartfelt slice-of-life drama, Dalton and Charlie -aided by visions of the dearly departed- help each other learn to cope, let go, and figure out what’s next.

Directed by Patrick Gauthier, this 10th anniversary production from Gruppo Rubato features a strong three person cast starting with national theatre veteran, Peter Froehlich, who walks comfortably in the shoes of Dalton, the grandpa who’s already checked out and is looking for a reason to go on.

Gruppo Rubato presents Karen Balcome's Snapshot, directed by Patrick Gauthier

Kate Smith’s haunting Leona appears to Charlie.

Teddy Ivanova’s Charlie is a university student who, like so many others, is desperately trying to find out where she belongs in life. A matter not helped by her crumbling relationship with her mother. (Also, she has a tremendously wonderful voice. I’d see Snapshot again just to listen to her – not that there aren’t plenty of other reasons to see Snapshot again.)

Rounding out the cast is Kate Smith as a perfectly ethereal vision who appears to both Charlie and Dalton in their dreams in different ways – the dearly departed Leona and a somewhat-like-Leona proxy. (You’ll understand it to see it.)

Gruppo Rubato presents Karen Balcome's Snapshot, directed by Patrick Gauthier

Dalton reminisces over some photos.

Running in the GCTC’s Studio Theatre with the seating arranged in kitty corners around the straightforward set for Dalton’s apartment, Snapshot is a fully engaging and intelligently presented piece of theatre. Between the staging, the writing, the great work of the cast, and the production design – that incorporates projecting images onto the background in support of the photography elements of the theme and plot, as well as a unique way to present texting and social media use – you’re fully engrossed in Dalton and Charlie’s journey right up until the unexpected ending.

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Ottawa Rated:
Rating: 2.8/5 (4 votes cast)

As of publishing, you have one single chance left to see Snapshot. Do that, at the GCTC Studio, then see Fresh Meat on Sunday.

What did you think of Snapshot? Did it do it for you or did it fall short? Did you see the ending coming? Tell me in the comments below.

(Feature and included images by Andrew Alexander, provided by Gruppo Rubato.)

REVIEW: Snapshot, 2.8 out of 5 based on 4 ratings
Allan Mackey

About Allan Mackey

Allan Mackey is editor-in-chief of Production Ottawa, which, really, is too fancy a title. He also acts as show producer for Should You See It, making sure you get your answer in just about two minutes every time. He writes stuff and occasionally turns that stuff into movies. Keep being awesome!

Links to this article.

  1. [...] The Production Ottawa Review for Snapshot (plus audience rating) Snapshot by Gruppo Rubato (Capital Critics Circle) The Picture of Dalton and Charlie (Visitorium) [...]

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