We are all connected – that’s essentially the idea behind Fishbowl. To this end, Mark Shyzer connects four very different characters from different places and different times. The audience’s connection to these characters has yet to be seen, however.
Shyzer ably performs four very different roles in a play that starts ridiculous and ends surreal. The characters are trite and tired. There’s the geek, Esther, complete with braces-induced lisp and glasses. She is obsessed with physics, and keeps a goldfish whom she considers her best friend. Shyzer’s acting in this role is reminiscent of Mark McKinney of Kids in the Hall. Shifting to the left, Shyzer becomes Francis, a static, quintessential emo/goth, despising his parents, society, and anything else you can think of. Think long hair, deep voice, blank expression. While some of the most memorable one-liners come from this character, he is by and large a cookie-cutter wrist-cutter. Next is Mr. Farrell, who is as painfully lucid as he is caustic in his dying days, telling jokes and stories with a voice of gravel. Finally, Shyzer dons a flamboyant costume and even more flamboyant pose, taking on the role of Janet. One cringes upon seeing the costume, in expectation of that oh-so-obvious character’s first lispy line. If Buddy Cole (Scott Thompson, Kids in the Hall) perfected the delightful fag with shocking, insightful remarks, Janet makes the character cheap and dirty.
The characters cycle in this manner, with Shyzer performing in a neutral costume throughout – the mannerisms, voices, and lighting are cues enough. As they continue to tell their stories, the characters converge on an interesting existentialist idea, founded on the basic physics principles Esther outlines in the beginning (though the idea of a “beginning” is misleading – oops, ambiguous spoiler).
While Mark Shyzer is clearly a capable actor, it seems that he prefers to demonstrate breadth rather than depth in his characters. Sometimes, especially with Esther, there are moments of endearment and novelty, but by and large the characters follow the book. This is a shame, since there is much potential to the idea behind the play. Sadly, the biggest takeaway question remains: why was there a fishbowl?
Fishbowl. Written and performed by Mark Shyzer, directed by Evelyn Parry. Performing during the Toronto Fringe at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse.
Fishbowl is one of the many shows that got its start at Buddies in Bad Times and was subsequently work-shopped and remounted over the course of several years. Other success stories in this same vain include Agokwe and The Silicone Diaries of recent years. Buddies is one of the few theatres in Toronto that place an emphasis on communally work-shopping unfinished works. That being said, Fishbowl is a perfect embodiment of the Fringe spirit.
The show is performed solely by Mark Shyzer; he lets us into the lives of four very distinct characters. The show opens with Esther – a socially awkward high school student with a passion for physics. Francis (who likes to call himself Ravyn), comes next; he is a textbook “emo” kid, reminiscent of the old viral song “I’m an Emo Kid!” and the goth kids from South Park. The other two characters are Mr. Parnell, an elderly retired teacher facing death, and Janice – a forty-something, sexually self-assured divorcée.
Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed myself. Shyzer has given a great deal of thought towards developing all the humourous nuances for each character. The script is full of hilarious zingers and one-liners that give the characters plenty of dimension, despite the fact that they are derived from fairly standard comedic archetypes. At times, however, the jokes felt a little repetitive and the development of the overall story arch and the characters was slowed down a fair amount. Despite the fact that this show was already cut down by twenty minutes to accommodate a sixty minute Fringe slot, I think that it can be cut another ten to fifteen. There is a fairly surprising conclusion, but not a whole lot really happens during the show and the characters get shtick-y after the first twenty or so minutes. The characters go through pretty major events, but I found that it took Shyzer far too long to tell their stories. This might be informed by my fidgety disposition, but I think that an artist working with such a short window of performance time ought to make the progression of the piece work with the time constraints, rather than just padding the show to fill up the allotted time slot.
I would recommend this show to anyone looking for some light-hearted laughs with a bit of substance found within the jokes. Fishbowl is a perfect representation of the Fringe spirit and really shows a half-decade of careful work and consideration.
Intermission Toronto 