An enthralling solo piece of psychological exploration. ‘The Veil’ harkens the audience back to the roots of authentic storytelling. All that is needed is a charismatic raconteur who knows how to deliver and when to pause for dramatic effect. The raconteur must also earn the audience’s trust. Byron Abalos does all this. A trustworthy storyteller with charm and wit, I hope to see more of his work on stage soon.
An ambitious, round-the-clock lawyer (Byron Abalos) wants it all, even if it means putting his rocky relationship with his unseen wife, Eva, and daughter, Maddie, on the line. The lawyer struggles to make ends meet financially and socially. If he can only establish a partnership in the law firm, he will then be able to determine his own hours at the office and select the cases he will take. He can become the family man Eva wants as she is the one who holds down the fort at home while he works all hours.
However, this want from the lawyer comes at an unimaginable cost.
One night, while working late at the office, he encounters his boss sitting alone, having a drink. The boss invites the young lawyer to join him. Over drinks and conversation, the boss recounts a sinister deal he made to achieve wealth and success. Intrigued by the story, the young lawyer becomes desperate to replicate his boss’s fortune and agrees to the same arrangement. Unsuspecting of any repercussions, he takes on a curse in exchange for wealth and status.
Why has the lawyer come to Crow’s Studio Theatre? He wants to share his increasingly unsettling encounters with the audience. By recounting his experiences, he hopes the audience will learn from the pitfalls he has faced. However, as the play reaches its final moments, a chilling occurrence takes place. Will the audience be cursed in the same way as this young lawyer before a single candle burns out?
I’m trying not to spoil the surprises in this terrific solo work of psychological mind play. It’s one that you need to experience live.
Jareth Li’s shadowy and periodic ominous lighting design enhances the chill of intrigue that hovers in the air throughout the eighty-five-minute running time. Additionally, Ashley Naomi’s neatly executed off-in-the-distance sound designs continue to underscore the tension. The sound of the animals is only one example.
With taut direction by Helen Juvonen, playwrights Keith Barker and Thomas Morgan Jones’s suspenseful script works well within the intimate setting of Crow’s Studio Theatre. The gentlemen want the audience to focus on the story. The words become integral to deliver a fulfilling, maximum psychological impact in understanding what the veil means regarding human behaviour. Combined with Li and director Juvonen’s envisioning of an unconventional theatrical visual setting for this solo show, the production works. Terrifically. A few live theatrical tricks aptly timed enhance the suspense of the moment.
My curiosity was certainly piqued when I entered the Studio Theatre, as it was not what I had anticipated. This surprise effectively enhances the overall mystery and suspense of the production. Abalos, dressed smartly in a dark navy blue suit, complete with expensive-looking shoes, a matching shirt, and a tie, makes an unconventional entrance as the lawyer at the beginning of the show. It startled both me and a few others sitting nearby. Again, this element added to the enjoyment of the experience.
A charismatic storyteller, Byron Abalos never veers into histrionics or overacting in those formidable moments of dreaded fear, in wondering what is actually real versus what might have supposedly happened. He times certain moments and gestures believably – he removes his suit jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and loosens the tie knot when he gets down to the nitty-gritty of events. Abalos remains assured and confident. He never once wavers in convincing the audience that what he relates is the truth. It is we, the audience, who must ultimately make the decision.
Don’t allow the conclusion to stump you. Again, I’m trying not to spoil surprises. The conclusion makes sense when you think about it.
What makes The Veil an entertaining time at the theatre? Audience members were talking about it in the lobby. There was a lively conversation in which my guest and I also participated. If that happens when you see the show, take the time to engage briefly. Meet audience members who may think the same way you do, or not.
This world premiere of The Veil reminds me of the stage adaptation of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, where a young lawyer believes that a curse has been placed upon him as well. That production is part of this year’s off-Mirvish season, and you may want to consider getting tickets to see it as well.
In the meantime, go see The Veil. I love a good psychological exploration of the mind, wrapped in a possible ghost story, too.
Running time: approximately 85 minutes with no interval/intermission.
The Veil runs to October 12 in the Studio Theatre at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. For tickets: crowstheatre.com or call (647) 341-7390 or email: boxoffice@crowstheatre.com
Thought For Food Production in Association with Crow’s Theatre and Guild Festival Theatre present
The World Premiere of
The Veil by Keith Barker and Thomas Morgan Jones
Directed by Helen Juvonen
Production and Lighting Designer: Jareth Li
Sound Designer: Ashley Naomi
Stage Manager: Kiera Doerksen Smith
Producer: Tyler J. Seguin
Performer: Byron Abalos
