Bookstore venue works for grassroots theatre

This is Simone talking, a literature student in danger of flunking a course. She’s come to talk with her professor, Ruth, to see if she can pass despite not having done any of the required reading. What happens next is the meat of Misreadings, by Neena Beber, the first of two short plays performed as a single program by the Gleams Theatre Company in the small space of the Diamond bookstore.

Misreadings is followed by The Mulligan, by Scott Morgan, a play about two troubled men who meet in a bar, and fall into a deep conversation about work and wives and second chances. Both pieces, directed by Constantin Sokolov, succeed — and in very different ways.

The acting is uniformly strong. Ira Sokolova, Ruth in Misreadings, wears her character like a heavy but comfortable old coat, a little tattered, perhaps unfashionable, but still solid. Karolina Armata is a sharp contrast as Simone, whose whole life is based on celebrity worship and the pursuit of the latest thing. Armata’s performance seems over-stagey at first, too consciously dramatic, but as the piece goes on it becomes clear that this is who Simone is — somebody who wants to be a star, who believes she is a star, constantly acting, constantly posing, always seeing herself at the centre of her own spotlight.

The two women of Misreadings are, in their way, perfectly balanced; The Mulligan is literally a different story, as Sam Croitoru’s articulate yet oddly melancholic Eddie soon takes over the conversation from Patrick Gelinas’s simpler but more open Bill. Their talk takes an unexpected turn roughly three-quarters of the way through the piece, and it’s to the credit of both men and the director that the twist doesn’t feel forced or unearned, but something that fits naturally with the way the two men have spoken and carried themselves up to that point.

Both plays feature sharp dialogue, and both use the performance space in different ways. In Misreadings the women wander the aisles, circling about, carrying on conversations across the shelves. The men of The Mulligan spend most of their time sitting at their table, as the audience sits a few feet away or less, watching them; every gesture becomes emphasised, and the dimensions of the space are used to bring the audience into the story, involving them with the characters and their interactions.

In the end, the two pieces balance well. They’re directed thoughtfully, and performed with care and craft. The plays are billed as “10-minute plays,” making Simone’s boast at the beginning of Misreadings literally true — in 10 minutes she really will be out of here — but in performance they run a bit longer. Ending up at roughly an hour, including musical performances by Sokolova at the beginning and between the two pieces, Misreadings is a tight and rewarding evening of theatre.

Misreadings is the first collaboration between Gleams Theatre and the Diamond Bookstore. A second show, We Women ..., is scheduled to run from Nov. 9 to Jan. 25. Each performance seats 21, so space is limited; tickets can be reserved at the Diamond Bookstore by calling 514-481-3000, or through Gleams Theatre at 514-934-0535. Tickets cost $12 a piece, and include refreshments after the show. A small additional cost brings membership in the Bookstore Theatre Club, with benefits including a discount on books and future tickets.

Misreadings runs until Oct. 26 at the Diamond, 5035 Sherbrooke St. W., with performances every Friday night at 8:30 p.m.