The 2007/2008 season for Alberta Theatre Projects kicks off with the Canadian debut of one of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the past year. Multi-time Tony award nominee and the Pulitzer Prize winner for best drama of 2006, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores one of the most difficult subjects a human being can deal with - the loss of a child - adding depth and warmth to the piece and making it a must see.
Originally starring Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) and Tyne Daly (Cagney and Lacey, Judging Amy), Rabbit Hole explores the life of Howie (Curt McKinstry) and Becca (Annette Loiselle) Corbett eight months after their four year old son Danny was hit by car while chasing the family dog out into the street. Now the parents struggle to hang on to their memories, sanity, and each other. Sister Izzy and mother Nat both try and lift the spirits of the couple in their own quirky ways. McKinstry and Loiselle are both parents themselves, so approaching the role of living out this tragedy every night for 18 days is a daunting task. Lindsay-Abaire created the concept for the show in a writing class when asked to write about something that scared him. In his case, as with many of us, the loss of a child was the most terrifying thing he could imagine.
“It is hard to walk into it predicting how I will feel. I am taking it day by day. I know when I first read the script it was very emotional, but I like going to those places. There is something about the piece that is a release. …I love sad movies and to bawl my eyes out, or laugh out loud. People look at me like I am crazy, but I am expressing myself and I need to be able to do that out loud. There is no question it is hard because you have to go to a place that you never want to go in your own life,” Loiselle told GayCalgary and Edmonton magazine.
McKinstry added his own thoughts on preparing for the role. “For myself in terms of preparing for this experience, I didn’t necessarily try to think about it too much but just open myself up to the experience and warm up to the idea that it is going to be difficult... I know that this is going to be one of the most horrific experiences I am going to have to go through in my acting career, and I have had to get myself to that place where I was ok. From an actor’s perspective it is one of the most exciting pieces of theatre I have seen in a very long time. It is the type of play that we as artists live for. You go through really great experiences in the theatre world and then there are those one or two gems that make you go ‘I have got to do this,’ and this is one of those shows.”
What is especially surprising, given the subject matter, is that in many ways Rabbit Hole is a comedy. The way the play is written creates very real, human characters. People can really relate to the arguments and discussions that the characters in the play have, and it is that recognition that brings out the humor.
“There are comic elements for sure. That is one of the things that is so endearing about the play is that no matter how painful an experience is to go through, we all cope through it in different ways, and humor is a strong aspect of that. It allows us to carry on despite all of the hardship we have to go through,” explained McKinstry.
With such a heavy subject matter, guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes (bring tissues) the question was asked, why see Rabbit Hole? Sure, it is critically acclaimed, but why go through the emotions that the show is sure to bring to the surface? Both actors gave very convincing arguments.
“It is not often that a play like this [comes around]. Usually the play is going to deal with the drama happening in the play [itself]. To have a show where someone dies and it is eight months later is different. In our society there is so much that happens around the time of the death, with the family getting together, that we forget about the family that, a year later, is still struggling with the loss. It is a universal recognition,” said Loiselle. “It’s not plot driven, it is character driven and a look at relationships. Every time people would ask me about the play I would try to describe it, and it is hard because there isn’t really a plot. It is character driven and absolutely riveting.”
“The thing that draws people into it is that no matter who you are or what your beliefs are, we can all connect with it on that level. We all have moments in our lives where we have to deal with something tragic and horrific and find a way to deal with it and get through it all,” added McKinstry. “When you see it on stage you realize you are not alone and have these feelings. It is art imitating life which is a beautiful thing.”

Alberta Theatre Projects
Rabbit Hole
September 11th - 29th, 2007
www.atplive.com
(403) 294-7402