Life is full of beginnings. With every ending, comes an opportunity to start something new.
Fernie Arts Theatre Ensemble Society’s latest show New Beginnings, brings this idea to life through the eyes of newly-retired couple Edward and Rita Wilson, and their daughter Kirsten. The characters each embark on new chapters in their lives, and navigate the ups and downs of unexpected changes in a world where politics is becoming increasingly polarized.
The play, written and directed by Barbara McFarlin-Kosiec, ran Feb. 17 at Fernie Family Centre. It was a comedic social commentary performed in the style of a radio play, with character dialogue being conveyed through vocal narration and computer visuals, rather than through gestures, and traditional theatrical staging and costumes.
The plot follows Edward (Orlan Weber), as he leaves his architectural career behind and accompanies his friends on a celebratory fishing trip, and Rita (McFarlin-Kosiec), as she plans a trip to Europe to visit museums, restaurant and concerts.
To Edward’s disappointment, he finds that the fishing trip with friends isn’t what he hoped it would be. When their boat is pulled over by water patrol officers, Edward discovers that his friend failed to get the inspection papers required to operate it. The group is accompanied by the illustrious politician Tom Hughes, who hasn’t renewed his fishing licence.
The officer lets the group off with a warning and tells them not to fish, but Tom shocks Edward when he admits he thinks the government is taking away their individual rights and freedoms, and that they should ignore these rules.
As a former public school art teacher, Rita hopes to explore creative pursuits in cities like Paris, Vienna and Rome, but when she and Edward embark on the trip, they are confronted with a harsh political reality. They witness protests on the streets in France, and watch as a dictator rises to power in Italy and enforces heavy-handed policies for immigrants.
Meanwhile their daughter Kirsten (Nicole Zathey), is just beginning her career as a psychologist and is struggling with clients who are dealing with change in their own lives — a hoarder who doesn’t want to let go of the past, a career-focused young mother who isn’t equipped with the skills to raise a baby, and a priest who is left troubled after one of his parishioners is unfaithful to his new wife.
The play confronts hot-button political topics like mental illness, homelessness, technology, and individuality versus the collective right to safety. Each of the characters find themselves in challenging situations that force them to evaluate their perspectives on life and wrestle with topics they find conflicting. Ultimately, their experiences lead them down a transformational path that shapes them into new people.
The fishing trip and European vacation inspire Edward to leave retirement behind and pursue a career in politics, and Rita reflects on her own career as a public school teacher in a system that doesn’t value art the way that she did.
Kirsten learns to be understanding about perspectives that are different from her own and she begins to see how the broader political and social system allows certain demographics of people to slip through the cracks.
As the world around them changes, so do they.