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THEATRE: Teens thrilled about performing ‘Concord Floral,’ a thriller coming to Surrey (video)

Acclaimed play staged at Surrey Arts Centre on Feb. 3-4
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The cast of “Concord Floral

SURREY — When a body is found in an abandoned greenhouse, the teens who hang out there must choose between mercy and cruelty, apathy and beauty. They must also tell their story to keep themselves alive.

This is the plot of Jordan Tannahill’s acclaimed “Concord Floral,” a drama acted by 10 teens who must navigate what’s been called a “deeply moving work.”

Two girls involved in the production, which hits Surrey Arts Centre’s Studio Theatre on Feb. 3 and 4 as part of a regional tour, are South Surrey’s Brianna Clark, who is 16, and Burnaby resident Chantal Gering, 17.

The show is definitely a thriller, the young performers told the Now, but it's not without some comedic moments.

“It touches on all aspects of teenagers’ lives,” said Brianna (pictured). “All of their different stories connect in some way. It shows what kind of power teenagers have and the influence they can have on each other, without knowing.”

Brianna isn’t seen on stage during the play, but her soprano singing voice is heard.

“I’m hidden there in the theatre somewhere, and it’s different for every theatre space,” she explained. “At the Shadbolt (last week), I’m high up, above the audience, so I can look down and see them looking for me when I start to sing – like, ‘Where is she coming from?’”

Chantal is seen on stage, but not until near the end.

“My character is mysterious and very involved with this plague, the force of this plague on the rest of the teenagers, and most of the time, like Brianna, I’m off to the side, on stairways, sitting down and just watching,” she said. “At the end, I introduce what the plague is and what has come upon these teenagers. But I don’t want to give too much away.”

For inspiration, the script draws on Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron,” in which 10 youth flee the Black Death pandemic of the mid-1300s.

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“Concord Floral,” which won the 2015 Dora Award for outstanding new play, gives the story a modern spin.

“This (play) really accentuates what teenagers are like now, in this era, and even for older people it’s important to see that,” Chantal noted. “There’s this line that says parents think teenagers are lazy, apathetic, but they can do a lot, and it’s true.”

For show details in Surrey, call 604-501-5566 or visit Tickets.Surrey.ca.

tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com

 



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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