One Last Word (FRINGE style): LOTUS, The Play in Full Bloom

I attended the last showing of the play LOTUS,  presented by Hopegrown Productions and directed by Bryan Doubt, on the last day of the FRINGE festival.  Although I haven’t been able to attend any of the other FRINGE shows (don’t wanna talk about it cuz it’ll just make me sad), I’m glad I at least had the chance to see this one at Espace 4001. At its 6^th showing of the week, LOTUS blossomed into an emotionally-charged play depicting the life of a quirky police officer (played by Miriam Cummings) and a teen (played by Samantha Megarry) living in denial after a dark incident involving cyber-bullying and rape.  This play inspired by the real stories of Retaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd who committed suicide after being victims of cyber-bullying. With Cummings dealing with a hypochondriac mother in need of constant reassurance and Megarry’s typical teenage attitude, the crowd was able to laugh in the midst of this tragic story. By the end of the play, you couldn’t help but sympathize with both characters.  Overall, an excellent show and a great way to end the FRINGE festival. See you next year!

Did you miss the play? Well lucky for you, there are more dates set for August, in Ontario! Visit their website for more information: http://www.hopegrown.ca/