Thank you to Jessica from George Harvey Collegiate in Toronto for this fantastic review of The Code - so glad you enjoyed it!

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On Tuesday, November 27th, George Harvey’s senior drama class watched the amazing work of Rachel Aberle from the Green Thumb Theatre titled The Code at the Young People’s Theatre. With the astounding direction of Patrick McDonald, the tear-jerking performance of Elizabeth Barrett as Moira, of Mason Temple as Connor, of Nathan Kay as Simon, and with the remarkable works of Ruth Bruhn, the set designer, and Elizabeth Wellwood as the costume and sound designer, The Code came to life and connected strongly with every group of young people that grabs the opportunity to watch it. The play told a story of three best-friends who are faced with a variety of issues such as sexism, cyberbullying, unrequited love, and unfairness as they navigate their way through life.

Elizabeth Barrett’s performance as Moira was incredibly powerful and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Barrett embodied Moira’s character of someone who has such passion for social justice and as a girl who firmly stands her ground. Her costumes showed Moira’s simplicity and that she’s up for whatever challenge life has in store for her. In addition, Barrett used her voice to heavily portray what Moira was feeling. For instance, when she yelled, “well, Simon, now I’m mad!” with such conviction and anger in her voice, that moment made me come to the conclusion that Barrett had truly committed to making Moira’s character come to life.

Mason Temple’s performance as Connor was also worth appreciating. The way he was reacting to a conversation that he was only hearing and was not really a part of, like Simon and Moira’s argument in the last act, was inspiring and a great reminder for student actors that we are to be in the moment and react to other actors when on stage. This includes Temple’s body movements, like pacing back and forth, as well as the expressions his face made and the way his eyebrows communicated what his character would not say.

The creative use of one stage set up was wondrous and extraordinary. Even though it only consisted of two benches, a garbage bin, and a backdrop of a school wall, The Code managed to tell a story that would otherwise take place in different settings. Despite the use of only one setting, the play did not, in any way, confuse its audience because of the fantastic use of the lights and sound which indicated the transitions of each scene. I would also like to comment on the costumes and props used by the actors; the costumes were simple, as I said with Moira, but it was clear that it was a person who goes to high school who wears it The addition of Connor’s water bottle and how the phone was actually used in the play made their characters feel even more realistic and relatable.

Overall, The Code tells a spectacular story and it gave a glimpse of the fine work that the Green Thumb Theatre has been offering young people throughout the years. It continues the conversation about many issues that is very much relevant to youth today, which in turn, can help us build a better tomorrow.

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