Rosebud production of

I knew this was a story about a mother and son and I was excited to see it with my youngest son. The mother and son characters are even portrayed by a mother and son. My pockets were stuffed with tissues to accommodate any eye leakage.
The set was very minimalist with a single easy chair and a backdrop of the exterior of a house.
Let me backtrack a bit so that I can impress upon you the amazing array of buffet items on offer. I had salad greens with mandarin sections, sunflower seeds, pickled beets, watermelon cubes and that was just the salad portion of my meal. There were roasted baby potatoes, taco chips with delicious home-style salsa as well as multiple more traditional options. Everything is well labelled to make it easy for anyone with dietarian restrictions. My plate was full, and my appetite satisfied, but I had seen something on the website about vegan gluten-free chocolate cake on offer. I had already spotted the apple crisp which I had enjoyed on previous visits. Decisions, decisions. I had mentioned a cake like this in my previous review as a ‘dream dessert’. I figured I owed it to myself and my readers. I asked my server for the cake. I was not disappointed.
Before I knew it, showtime was approaching and we waddled over to the Opera House.
This play was written by Michel Tremblay, a Canadian who has authored 41 plays, 2 musicals and an opera libretto. He has also written 31 novels, as well as short stories, films and TV scripts. The play was originally written in French and was translated by Linda Gaboriau.
Michel Tremblay’s inspiration for this play, came from his relationship with his own mother and the memories that he cherished. She must have been quite the woman. She was portrayed beautifully by Karen Johnson-Diamond as a witty, spunky, off the wall character with an imagination that wouldn’t quit. Her lines were delivered with such passion and conviction, it was hard to imagine that they weren’t her own words. She provides loads of laughs and a few tender moments that made me glad I had tissues at the ready.
Griffin Cork narrates this story while onstage sitting on an easy chair. The dialogue is hilarious, and he delivers it well, but the real magic happens when he is listening to his mother. His face says everything. He adores her, is amazed by her, and he delights in her perceived troubles and adventures. We can see that he doesn’t believe a word of it but is in awe of her inventiveness and delivery. He clearly credits his mother with nurturing his own creativity.
My only complaint with this event was that I walked out of the Opera House in broad daylight, with bloodshot eyes and a drippy nose and there was nowhere to hide. My son and I walked straight to the car, heads bowed so as not to attract any attention. If you attend this show, and you should, don’t forget tissues and if you go to a matinee and you’re a crier, take sunglasses and maybe even a wide brimmed hat.