This article appeared in the August 6, 2014 edition of London Free Press
By Joe Belanger, The London Free Press Wednesday, August 6, 2014 5:13:56 EDT PM
The Play: Lotus, a new play by Caitlin Murphy (who wrote the hit Fringe show The Ladies Room). Lotus is described as a “provocative, dark comedy about our digital daze . . . a twisting and troubling journey down the rabbit hole of cyberspace to discover the truth about a young girl’s past.” When a gruesome picture appears on a teenager’s Facebook page, a young cop sets out to find out whether it’s a crime or a prank. “The play is inspired by the real-life cases of Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd and others, disturbing stories about teenagers who were bullied online and ultimately took their own lives,” said Murphy in a news release. “I wanted to explore how one person’s suffering is never discrete. It ripples out in all sorts of unpredictable directions, so many it can be hard to keep track, so far it can be hard to see.”
The Show: Presented by Hopegrown Productions and directed by Bryan Doubt.
The Quote: “Caitlin Murphy’s newest play Lotus is like being drawn into a vortex. It is a savvy exploration of the toxic role of the internet in exploiting the vulnerability of a teenage girl who ends up at a party she wasn’t even supposed to attend. The consequences of that evening unfold at a terrifying speed. The young cop assigned to her case is left with only raw intuition to guide both of them to an always-elusive place of healing.”
— Bryan Doubt, director
IF YOU GO
What: Lotus, presented by Hopegrown Productions.
Where: The Arts Project, 203 Dundas St.
When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $20 general, $15 students, available at the door, by calling 519-642-2767 or online at www.artsproject.ca.
