October Show

A Pair of Wings

Real Voltaire, a scruffy blazer, and 1930s New York City. A Pair of Wings follows headstrong, aloof prohibitionist and detective Frank Lee Doyle in his witless pursuit of a French smuggling giant. Friday night’s trip to the Union Concert Hall was only my second time seeing a play, but it left me wanting to see a billion more.

The opening scene is loaded with witty dialogue and priceless punchlines; we are introduced to Detective Doyle through a monologue flawlessly delivered in a booming New York accent.  The authenticity of said accent does fade throughout the play, and it would help character realism if it was upheld at the same high quality as the beginning – but nothing is ever perfect. Doyle is a narrow-minded and brutal NYPD detective heartily dedicated to upholding the Eighteenth Amendment; we see him grasp hold of a petty bootlegger and treat him with the same enraged demeanor he might have used on a serial killer. His senior, Dick, is quick to call out Doyle’s vindictiveness and guide him onto an under-cover (or more like no cover at all, given Doyle’s lack of subtlety) mission.

Doyle is tasked with infiltrating the alcohol smuggling scheme of the Marchand De Vin, whose French accent and intonation is so satisfying it is almost distracting from the just-as-satisfying lines he delivers. Doyle gets to argue about the philosophy of banning alcohol: to guide people to a healthier, more moral lifestyle, or to impede on the freedom to make mistakes which make up the very essence of being human? The Frenchman does not only succeed in making the audience chuckle, but he manages to open the eyes of stubborn Frank. In a makeshift speakeasy, which could have been better accommodated for with the use of props and perhaps better lighting efforts, Doyle’s rigid mind gets a shove: “Torch all the devils and you might take some angels with you”. Some bad deeds can stem from a place far from evil, and law and morality are not always synonymous.

Overall, I am grateful to everyone who made this play possible; aside from the very minor details, I have nothing but a smile and a warm feeling when I recall our rash detective. A special mention goes out to the streetlamp lighting used in one of the scenes; I genuinely felt like I was on a lonely street in night time NYC.  

D.B. Cooper: The Musical Mystery

D.B. Cooper: The Musical Mystery follows Ash, an FBI agent with a lot to prove, and their investigation of the “impossible” case of the Northwest Orient Airlines flight hijacking. Opening with Ash interrogating Florence, the flight attendant present at the hijacking, Ash’s artless questions are met with Florence’s teasing demeanour. Right off the bat, we are dashed into Florence’s recollection of the fateful flight with a cheeky and playful musical number on board. What sucked me in was Florence’s vocals: crisp, clear, and ever-charming. I was in awe. Notwithstanding some of the other singing, which I found to be a little weak, the flight safety protocol-turned-dance choreography had the audience giggling.  

Then, moonwalking aboard comes D.B. Cooper. The play did a fantastic job portraying the off-kilterness of the situation. His smoothness and apathetic magnetism sent a chill down my back. Reminiscent of Patrick Bateman, it feels like a dream where something is not right. There is a tautness in the air as the plane heads to Mexico. Just as the tension is about to snap, we are brought back into the interrogation room.  

In an anti-climactic fashion, Florence tells Ash that Cooper jumped off. Ash pries and pries, but finding nothing more, reveals the desperation to not disappoint anyone. They needed to solve this case to prove themselves, a motif keenly felt by many of the audience. Having unattainable standards that we selfishly feel entitled to, who are you trying to satisfy?  

After Ash’s piece which perhaps lasted too long, Florence cheers them up. They had us all swooning at Ash’s blushing awkwardness when being asked out for coffee by Florence. Cold case it may be, but it warmed my heart to see the two find what they were lacking: be it purpose, or peace with oneself, or love.  

Lastly, from our smooth criminal, a.k.a. Noah Clarke:  “D.B. Cooper is such an interesting concept – so amusing to read about. Natalie and Timcreated such a fun story and an incredible way of telling it. It was a real ensemble show.”