Cherry Docs - Walking in someone else's boots

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

As you enter the theatre for Cherry Docs, New Rep’s latest production, you see a small, sparse, angular room, with industrial florescent lighting, various grates and vents, as well as a very bright light off to the side emitting a cool light you might expect to find in a parking lot. This sets the stark tone of the play directed by David R. Gammons, who directed New Rep’s amazing production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore a few years back, and proves again that he can handle such material.

Mike (Tim Eliot), a young skinhead from Toronto commits a hate crime, violently attacking a man he doesn’t know with his cherry docs – Doc Martin steel-toe boots (the program contains a note saying that the play is in no way associated with the shoemaker who has taken issue with its contents) - the man is critically injured and later dies from the injuries. Mike is defended by court appointed attorney Danny (Benjamin Evett), and is presented with a dilemma as Danny is Jewish. Danny also must decide whether to defend someone who says that in his ideal world, he would see Danny eliminated. The audience is taken on an intense journey exploring the relationship of the two, motivations for the crime, and how each copes with the situation on hand. The play rings true today with thoughts of hatred post 9/11 and most recently with news about GLBT youth and offers up some interesting ideas of how to address people who spread the hatred as well as is society’s role.

David Gow crafts a smart play with much Jewish imagery, some a little more subtle, others, such as the epilogue where both characters talk about the Biblical meaning of their names, are interesting thoughts, but seem over the top to have the characters spell it out for you.

Both actors shine in this production. Tim Eliot portrays many sides of Mike - at times he is terrifying, others afraid of what might happen to him, and still at other times that he might have just fallen in the with wrong crowd and got brainwashed. Benjamin Evett’s Danny is also complex, matching Mike’s intensity and emotions, as well as showing his own struggle of whether to take on such a case. David Gammons does a great job at keeping the pace and the intensity of this play going, it makes the 90-something minutes of the show go by quickly. This is definitely a production to see this season and is one that reminds us why we still go to see live theatre.