Countries Shaped Like Stars
Writer/Creator: Emily Pearlman
The poorly postured courtship of Gwendolyn Magnificent and Bartholomew Spectacular starts with demanding dragon fruits and ends with heartache whispered into the ears of birds and constellations. A love story heard best through a tin can telephone. From the award-winning creator of Free Range (“celebrates the glories of a slightly askew imagination” – Ottawa Citizen 2007)
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It’s hard to find the words to describe how I feel about Countries Shaped Like Stars, but I’ll try. It blew me away and left me repeating four words over and over throughout the end of the evening (Countries Shaped Like Stars, Countries Shaped Like Stars.)
I fell in love with Emily Pearlman’s wonderful sad, funny, and extremely quirky style in 2007 when she put on Free Range, but I was not prepared for the beauty of Countries Shaped Like Stars.
Everything about it was weird, beautiful, and wonderful, from the music, the script, ideas, use of the space (who knew café alt could turn into such a great space???), and of course the performances.
All I can say is Countries Shaped Like Stars!
Part fairy tale, part vaudeville routine, part old-fashioned love story, this piece with Emily Pearlman and Nicolas Di Gaetano adds up to one outstanding hour. It traces the sweet, very funny story of two awkward lovers, Gwendolyn Magnificent and Bartholomew Spectacular, in a far-away, hopeful world where “anticipation grew on trees.” Pearlman gives a wonderfully physical performance as she brings to life her character Gwendolyn, a lady who grows something called dragon fruit for a living. Di Gaetano, dark eyes glittering, is Pearlman’s ideal, robust acting partner; his character Bartholomew spends his days “knitting allegories into woolen toques,” apparently a respectable livelihood in a world where countries are shaped like stars. Songs, some audience involvement and a frequently lyrical script round out this sure-fire hit. At Café Alt until June 27.- Patrick Langston
This is the show that the Decemberists would create if they pursued theatre on a break from touring as a band, and if they got Roald Dahl to direct them. Absolutely stunning visually, with whimsy and emotional resonance and hyperintelligence pouring out of every cell of the amazing Emily and Nicolas, heartwarming as the twinkly light bulbs strung above the strip of stage. There is so much originality in this show, so many memorable words and phrases and IMAGES!!!, it almost made dizzy with the urge to go write it all down or draw it in pictures so I could preserve the feeling of “Countries” forever, and go back and visit the show when life lets me down…mostly, though, I have a feeling “Countries” is going to start a trend of every young, quirky theatre girl wanting desperately to be Emily, in funky kneesocks, lace-up mary janes and tiny aprons, and every quirky theatre boy wanting desperately to be Nicolas, strumming a mandolin, in vintage vests and pants…at the very least, we are all going to walk around speaking in endless pairings of unusual nouns and bizarre adjectives for months…or wearing cumin-scented mustaches. Honestly, seriously — I don’t expect to see a better show this year on the Fringe circuit. “Countries Shaped Like Stars” blew me out of the water and off my peninsula.
Pick a bushel-full of Anticipation growing on the trees outside Cafe Alt and you’ll receive a phenomenal pay-off on your plucked haul within. Countries Shaped Like Stars carries the full weight of whimsy of Tim Burton’s Big Fish, enveloping Amelie and Edward Scissorhands walking hand in hand on a date in Wonderland. The rapt attention of the audience assures that sound CAN only be measured in pin drops.
Theatre can be done brilliantly on a budget and sometimes the simplest things are the most magical. Strawberry monoculars aside, be grateful Nick and Emily offer this show for living room rentals. You”l want to see it again, in your home with your closest friends, where no one will judge you if they see a tear in your eye and a Cheshire grin on your face.
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