Patchface
Commissioned and produced by Allswell Productions
Created and developed through the TAP Centre for Creativity's Resident Artists Program
Official Selection, 2023 Vancouver Digital Fringe Festival
SYNOPSIS
A young female switchboard operator becomes intimately involved in the affairs of a married couple when she overhears, and participates in, a series of telephone conversations between them. Patchface is a new play about technology, desire, communication, and the space between these things.
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
Patchface was developed through an artist residency at the TAP Centre for Creativity in London, Ontario from January to April, 2019. The project was made possible by grants from the Ontario Arts Council's Recommended Grants for Theatre Creators, and specifically by recommenders Pat The Dog Theatre Creation and Theatre Aquarius. A filmed premiere production of Patchface streamed virtually in the summer of 2021, produced by Allswell Productions and directed by Hailey Hill in London, Ontario, Canada.
PRODUCTIONS
Patchface premiered virtually via Allswell Productions in July of 2021, running until August 8th. This premiere production was directed by Hailey Hill and starred Jack Copland, Andrea Holstein, and Erin Sevigny. This production was reprised for the 2023 Vancouver Digital Fringe Festival, with the same cast and creative team.
Photos by Alexis Bedard
"All the actors are exceptionally skilled in this performance. There is a natural chemistry between them all, especially Copland and Holstein as the strained married couple. This shows in how they describe their mundane routines and how disconnected they feel from one another, facing tragic events which pull them further apart. Their conversations are painful, cold, and awkward and you believe every moment of it. There is a precise method of speaking rhythmically and it creates this fascinating cadence which only comes from dedication from the entire trio."
- Steel City Girl Reviews
"The result is that the spectators - at home watching this digital production - become the confidants of these interpersonal relationships, rather than just the telephone operator. Although the technology featured in Patchface is purposefully dated, the relevance of the question at hand in the age of social media is not - how much do we truly know about each other's lives when we can only get a glimpse, or when others choose the information we can absorb?"
- Beyond James
