Crane Girl

Reviewed by Anne Bokma

The vibe is existential angst.

Inspired by the true-life story of a Toronto woman who climbed a 100-metre-high crane in 2017 after a night of heavy drinking when she was in a downward spiral, suffering from anxiety and trauma, this play presents a few theories as to why a woman would do such a thing. Is she being chased by a dangerous stranger? Or is the dangerous stranger actually her husband, who wants her to bear a baby she doesn’t want? Is she suicidal? A thrill-seeker? Or suffering from PTSD after witnessing a horrific accident? Whatever the cause, she seems to be teetering on the edge of madness and sanity while she tries to hang on tight to the structure that might save her or kill her.

Writer and director Alexa Higgins plays Jane, the compelling title character of this absorbing piece of theatre, so compelling it’s hard to take your eyes off her as she wrangles her body between and over the bars and slats of a makeshift crane with poetic body movements. Ian Ottis Goff and Katherine Cappellacci play a variety of supporting characters (admittedly it’s sometimes it’s challenging to keep track of them all), but Goff as a firefighter is admirably committed to his role and displays a believable vulnerability as a potential saviour who has trauma of his own, while Cappellacci brings some levity to an otherwise heavy play with her flaky fast-talking one-sided phone conversations.

“Grief makes people do strange things,” says Jane.  Crane Girl is haunting, mysterious and unresolved. Just like grief itself.

Event Details

Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)

Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Theatre—Drama, Dance

Run Time: 60 mins

Playwright

Alexa Higgins

Stage Manager

Daniel Entz

Actors

Ian Ottis Goff, Alexa Higgins, Katherine Cappellacci, Kira Chisholm (swing)

Warnings

Coarse Language, Other

Reference to self-harm and miscarriages.