Ligature Marks

Ligature Marks takes you on an unforgettable, emotional journey you cannot miss.

At its surface, Ligature Marks is a beautifully crafted, dark comedy about the lives of two dysfunctional, self-described losers. Terry (Mac Rogers) has recently been released from a two year stint in prison and crashes at the home of his ex-girlfriend, Jill (Rebecca Comtois).

All Terry wants is to make enough money to skate by life and play his favorite video game: NOIR, a whodunit online multiplayer. All Jill wants is for Terry to be with her. She will do anything to make this a reality.

In turn, he will do his best to sidestep her every attempt.

These ingredients would seem innocent enough, except Gideon Productions does not do innocent. Their company description states that they use ‘familiar genres and cultural touchstones as a springboard to something wholly unexpected.’ Terry and Jill’s relationship and their warring personal desires are this play’s ‘familiar genres’ and ‘cultural touchstones’. The game NOIR is the springboard to the strange and unexpected: and what a well-written, multi-layered springboard it is.

Mac Rogers, doubling as the play’s playwright, masterfully morphs this play from a dark comedy about losers to a noir dark comedy about losers, without losing any of the elements that made the first half of the play so good. He also makes for an enthralling actor, playing the wound-up, intense Terry or Jill’s easy-going, pot-smoking neighbor Craig with equal ease.

Rebecca Comtois also displays chameleon-like abilities as she shifts between Jill and a slew of other characters. Comtois’ Jill is dogged, goofy, and oh-so-lovable. It’s a welcome contrast to Roger’s Terry, who can be overbearing, loud, and easily irritable.

Under Jordana William’s direction, these seemingly opposing people make sense together, emotionally charged moments are woven neatly between times when they can’t help but get along.

It all builds to a twist that left everyone in the theater talking.

Will Terry escape into NOIR? Will Jill convince Terry she is the one? Is anything what you think it is? Is anyone ever anything?

There’s only one way to find out.

Take me to the DCTS 2014 Capital Fringe Guide