I was pleased to direct the Canadian premiere of this Pulitzer prize nominee by Wil Eno at the PuSh Festival.
Scott Bellis starred as Thom, a rumpled neurotic loser who spills his guts while peppering the audience with jokes and stunts, and teasing us with the spectre of audience participation. Bellis went above and beyond the call of duty in his portrayal of this unpleasant, odd but compelling character. ‘What if you only had a day to live? What would you do?’ asks Thom. ‘What if you only had forty years to live?’ It’s a question that definitely made the audience think long after the stage went black.
Photos by Tim Matheson (click an image for full size)
Critical Response
Thom Pain is brainy, stream of consciousness material that’s almost impossible to pull off and it’s the kind of risky theatre that Theatre Conspiracy revels in. Think back to the searing Blue/Orange of seasons past. Directed by Richard Wolfe, four performances at the PuSh Festival were not nearly enough.
—Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier
Thom Pain (based on nothing) is a Pulitzer-nominated play by Will Eno that was put on by Vancouver’s Theatre Conspiracy. Amazing. Like getting a tour through the (deeply troubled) character’s head.
—Jennifer Van Evra, CBC Radio
Played with bilious brilliance by Scott Bellis.
— Jerry Wasserman, The Province
Artistic and Production Personnel
Directed by Richard Wolfe
Starring Scott Belis
Lighting and set by Del Surjik
Stage Managed by Mary Kavaunagh
January 2006