It’s silly, it’s fun, it’ll make you shake your head in disbelief and laugh out loud at the antics — the season-opening comedy at Persephone Theatre is a quirky delight.
Native Gardens came with all the vibes of an early 2000s sitcom episode or zany comedy movie in Thursday night’s preview show. The plot is appropriately improbable, but just probable enough to incite all the wackiness of the plot: young Latinx couple Pablo (Ed Mendez) and pregnant Tania (Alexandra Lainfiesta) del Valle move into an upscale Washington D.C. neighbourhood next to the older, nearly-retired Virginia (Pamela Haig Bartley) and Frank (Kent Allen) Butley. When the del Valles and and the Butleys agree to replace the old fence between their backyards before the del Valles host a company BBQ for Pablo, they realize the del Valle’s property extends two feet further than the fence line into the Butley’s yard — and Frank’s prized garden.
What follows is a level of hijinks one could expect from an episode of “Seinfeld,” with modern sensibilities and numerous political jokes tossed into the mix. Snark over perceived betrayal (“we brought them wine and chocolate!”), both sides blowing what the other said out of proportion to their spouses and continuous pettiness of tossing fallen leaves, coffee and cigarette butts into each others’ yards all feel pulled straight from television.
Full credit to director Heather Cant and the production team for putting together a great ensemble cast. Lainfiesta and Mendez have fantastic chemistry as a young couple trying to carve their way in the world. Mendez brings levity to the stubborn lawyer Pablo with his characteristic physicality, and Lainfiesta cements herself as the heart of the show as she seemingly feels the most conflict — and the most passion — about their situation.
Allen — who just can’t seem to let retirement stick in the Saskatoon theatre community — is undeniably perfect as the unshakeable and curmudgeonly old Frank, with pinpoint comedic timing and delivery. Bartley is a delight as the confident Virginia, playing a more forward foil to her petulant husband and refusing to back down from this new threat to her home.
Playwright Karen Zacarias crafted some very believable and relatable characters, and is very particular about the language she uses in each heated dialogue. Some scenes paint the young del Valles as the victims of unjust colonialism while others portray them as “the man,” as Tania puts it in the play. The Butleys are older and more out-of-touch — repeatedly referring erroneously to both del Valles as “Mexican” and digging their heels in deeply rather than entertain the idea of change.
The title of the play comes from a fundamental dispute between Tania and Frank — Frank’s beautiful and carefully cultivated garden is full of non-local flowers, and Tania hopes to grow a “native garden” full of local flora to support the ecosystem around them. It comes to a hilarious (and rather politically pointed) head when Frank accuses the del Valles of wanting to destroy his garden of “immigrant plants,” and Pablo retorts they are more like “colonizer” plants.
Tania slings insults at Virginia in Spanish to the delight of the landscapers in her yard (Yulissa Campos and Lautaro Reyes), and both Frank and Virginia’s conversations are laden with unintentional but racially- and culturally-charged microaggressions. The language layers on a level of realism to every interaction. We’ve probably all heard people talk like this or argue like this before, for better or worse. But it reinforces the idea that neither side in this backyard brawl is “evil,” even though they’re fighting.
The play probably isn’t as deep of a political commentary as was intended, but the political jokes are well-aimed and well-timed. At the very least, you should see something of yourself in one of the bickering characters on stage that cover a broad cultural and political swath.
The ending is a little wishy-washy, and admittedly using a the prospect of a baby to diffuse a fight and then avoid settling things on-stage has been done before. It would have been nice to actually see some on-stage resolution in a show with such an emphasis on language and communication.
Nonetheless, it’s a fun and compact show that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Native Gardens is a delightfully entertaining romp with clever comedy for both young and old audiences alike.
And maybe it’ll make you think about the last time you spoke to your neighbours, too.
Native Gardens runs at Persephone Theatre until Oct. 6. Tickets can be found online at persephonetheatre.org.
