52 Pick-up: Chance and Gravity

The two-actor gem 52 Pick-up beautifully captures the experience of sifting through memories after a relationship ends by making inventive use of chance -- and gravity.

The structure of the show ensures it never runs the same way twice: The actors toss a deck of cards in the air at the beginning and then play out one small vignette from a love affair for each card they pick up at random as the show progresses.

Such a roller-coaster of a piece, in which the audience might witness a wrenching post-breakup phone call, followed by a first date and then playful bedtime chatter, requires strong actors who can master frequently jarring emotional transitions. Thankfully, Natalie Joy Quesnel and Stewart Matthews, who both directed and starred in the piece, are up to the task, and breathe life into the uncannily realistic script.

Anyone in the audience who has ever loved, mourned and wondered how it all fell apart will recognize a little of herself in 52 Pick-up. The show, presented by Enigma Productions, runs until Saturday at Studio Leonard-Beaulne.

Thursday, June 23rd, 2005
Shannon Proudfoot
Ottawa Citizen