The trio of performers delivers a masterclass in acting.
Directed with solid commitment by Erik Richards, the Canadian premiere of Amy Berryman’s Walden is staged in the intimate Incubator at The Theatre Centre. The futuristic thriller is aptly anchored by restrained performances from Charlotte Dennis, Emily Anne Corcoran and Oshen Aoun.
No familiarity with Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 book is required. Thoreau’s account considers simple living in natural surroundings, independence and spiritual discovery through a social experiment. Berryman adapts those themes for a 21st-century setting in which environmental decline has placed the characters’ world at risk. The play’s concerns closely parallel contemporary debate about the climate crisis.
Set in the near future, the play follows Cassie (Charlotte Dennis), an astronaut and botanist returning alone from a year-long lunar mission after conducting successful plant-growth experiments. She reunites with her twin sister, Stella (Emily Anne Corcoran), at a remote environmental reserve. Stella lives there with her fiancé, Bryan (Oshen Aoun), and the couple have largely withdrawn from technology and social contact because they believe technological dependence has accelerated Earth’s deterioration.
Over several days, the sisters confront a choice between remaining on a failing Earth and pursuing a future in space. Disputes involving their father and tensions among the three characters steadily expose withheld information and competing loyalties.
Richards also serves as set and sound designer. His sturdy cabin set establishes the production’s remote location through realistic plants, a fire pit and two Muskoka chairs. The cabin’s durability suggests it can serve as shelter from the environmental concerns if needed. Inside, wood panelling and practical household objects create a deliberately rustic environment suited to Bryan and Stella’s identity as Earth Advocates.
Sruthi Suresan’s lighting tracks the play’s rising tension. A late scene isolates Corcoran at far stage right and Dennis at stage left, using separate spotlights to sharpen the distance between the sisters. A dusk scene between Bryan and Cassie similarly supports the ambiguity in their exchange.
Richards maintains a controlled pace in his direction through Berryman’s dialogue-heavy script. The actors’ movement remains motivated by the changing alliances and pressures within the cabin rather than by the need to animate extended conversations.
A strong emphasis on active listening from both the actors and the audience gives the production much of its tension.
Dennis, Corcoran, and Aoun sustain that approach terrifically as an ensemble.
Dennis introduces Cassie, wearing a NASA sweatshirt, with an assured, directive manner. Corcoran’s Stella combines affection for her twin with a persistent reserve that suggests a longstanding strain. Brief comic exchanges, particularly around Cassie’s first meeting with Bryan, provide contrast without interrupting the production’s underlying unease. Aoun presents Bryan as open and eager to make a favourable impression on Cassie for Stella’s sake. As the initial courtesies recede, the production keeps the characters’ emotional confrontations within a credible range.
The 90-minute production moves at a steady pace without feeling hurried. Although Walden is structured around the relationship between twin sisters, the production broadens its focus to questions of resilience, responsibility and isolation.
Those themes also give the play a recognizable post-pandemic resonance.
The three performers deliver a disciplined ensemble performance that keeps the speculative premise grounded in family conflict.
As the opening production in Icarus Theatre’s forthcoming season, Walden indicates the company’s interest in contemporary work that connects large social questions with intimate drama. The result is a focused production whose strongest elements are its ensemble work, controlled direction and coherent design.
Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no interval/intermission.
The production runs until September 26 at The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto. For tickets: icarustheatre.ca or theatrecentre.org. You can also call The Theatre Centre (416) 538-0988.
ICARUS THEATRE presents The Canadian Premiere
Walden by Amy Berryman
Produced by Anthony Goncharov
Directed by Erik Richards
Set and Sound Designer: Erik Richards
Lighting Designer: Sruthi Suresan
Props and Costume Designer: Emily Anne Corcoran
Stage Manager: Cooper Hiebert
Performers: Charlotte Dennis as Cassie, Emily Anne Corcoran as Stella and Oshen Aoun as Bryan.
