(Review of Half Life at Theatre Aquarius. Originally published by Mayday Magazine, November 2009.)
It’s not very often you see a show that makes you believe in things, but Half Life, currently running at Theatre Aquarius, is of that ilk. Written by Hamilton-born John Mighton, this Governor General Award winning play is a sensitive study of the human mind, aging, and love, seasoned delicately with musings on faith and ethics. A brilliant cast and fine direction by Anthony Black bring the story to life in a manner that breaks your heart over our treatment of the aged and then sends it soaring with laughter, without ever violating the integrity of the script.
The plot follows the romance between Patrick and Clara, a tempestuous old man with the sharp mind of a mathematician (and the most formidable eyebrows you’ll encounter at the theatre this year) and a sweet, faith-filled old lady with a brightness of spirit that isn’t at all dulled by her short-term memory loss. Played to perfection by Jerry Franken and Barbara Gordon, the two light up the stage with flirtatious banter and, eventually, the kind of love that unites souls and changes lives. Yet because Clara’s son has power of attorney and disapproves, they are denied each other.
Patrick and Clara’s daughter and son both demonstrate the lack of faith and the confusion that is so common today. They are in many ways still merely children but have every say in how their parents are allowed to live, patronizing and disregarding them in the gently abusive way our society advocates. Donald in particular, a scientific thinker played with endearing awkwardness by John Fitzgerald, is an anxious, searching man completely lacking peace. It is interesting that he is clearly lost and makes poor decisions, and yet it is the wise seniors with their strong morals and wealth of experience who are treated like infants. He will never stop clinging to his mother and the security her love provides, and yet selfishly refuses to let her remarry. He justifies his emotional decision with logic and gives no credence to his mother’s desire to marry Patrick, citing her malfunctioning brain as the sole cause of her decision.
Is the human mind more than a machine, and is a person more than the human mind? Donald makes the statement that we can never simulate human thought until we can simulate forgetting, which essentially turns people into robots with malfunctioning hard drives. This is where Reverend Hill (John Jarvis) comes in, who, despite his flaws as a spiritual leader, has faith, believes strongly in the human spirit, and has a deep love for the elderly. Donald asks him,”If a machine acts like you, then why not call it life?” To which the Reverend replies, “Have you ever seen a person die?” The two present a well-balanced view to the question of what makes us human. However, Donald’s view causes him to look down on his mother and treat her shamefully, disregarding her feelings and denying her human rights based on the perceived functionality of her brain. If there is no God and no soul then all is permissible, as the Reverend quotes, and then there is no greater inherent value in a human aside from its functionality and awareness. Once we as a society start giving and taking away rights based on functionality, we are essentially screening humans like products on an assembly line. The very young, the very old, those with brain damage or born without the same processing ability as most, all are immediately in danger of violation. This is a slippery slope not unrelated to the events of World War Two, which is a frightening thought when contrasted with our treatment of the elderly and mentally ill today.
Due to the brilliance of the writing the show itself is refreshing and joyous, a celebration of love, even with the difficult circumstances the setting imposes and the deeper themes lurking below the surface. You leave feeling both uplifted and thoughtful, inspired and challenged, entirely refreshed, and it’s impossible not to leave with a greater love and appreciation of our senior citizens. Half Life is a brilliant mirror to hold up to our society, to show us how our treatment of the elderly reflects our lack of respect for human life and freedom. And yet, it also shows just how amazing the human spirit is, and just how much love can be enjoyed at any stage in life. Get out to the theatre my friends–the only thing I could see wrong with this show was a startling under-representation from the 30 and under demographic. If it’s out of your budget, be sure to call and ask about Pay What You Can nights for the rest of the season.
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