Four Years Later, He’s Still Carrying Emotional Wounds

Baggage 2 – the long awaited sequel to playwright and performer Shaun McCarthy’s 2009 Fringe Patron’s Pick entitled, “Baggage: A Non-musical Romp through One Catholic Gay Man’s Dating History” is a deeply personal yet facetious account of the lessons we all should learn from our past romances.

“Relationships are a lot like airplane rides,” explains McCarthy, “Most of us simply don’t know how they stay afloat.”

Strap in your seatbelts. It’s going to be a hilarious ride.

Drawing inspiration from Kübler-Ross model for the Five Stages of Grief, McCarthy derived his own five stage model for relationships. And in order to save some of the surprise for your own viewing experience, his full model will not be listed here. But let’s just say that, fortunately for Fringe patrons (and tragically for McCarthy), he has not yet reached stage five: happily ever after. Otherwise, the introspective gem that is Baggage 2 would not exist.

What worked best for this play was McCarthy’s charming and personable demeanor. While the delivery for many one man shows can often come across as manufactured and contrived, McCarthy spoke to the audience in the same tone that one would use to speak to a dear friend. This made his little tidbits of relationship advice relatable and engaging.

Ending on a positive note, McCarthy urged the audience to value the company of those who would love and welcome the idiosyncrasies that most would find annoying. Whether gay or straight, naïve or jaded, the relationship themes touched upon in this play were universal and well worth taking to heart. For this reason, Baggage 2 would make a great addition to any Fringer’s schedule.

Details:

Baggage 2 is playing at the Tarragon Theatre’s Main Space (30 Bridgman Ave.)

Play Length: 60 Minutes

Performances

• Thursday, July 4 at 10:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 6 at 3:30 p.m.
• Sunday, July 7 at 3:00 p.m.
• Monday, July 8 at 6:15 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 12 at 12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 13 at 11:30 p.m.

Tickets

• Individual Fringe tickets are available at the door for $10 ($5 for FringeKids), cash only. Late comers will not be permitted.
• Advance tickets are $11 ($9 + $2 service charge) and are available online at fringetoronto.com, by phone at 416-966-1062 EXT 1, or in person during the festival at the Festival Box Office at 581 Bloor St W (located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s). Value packs are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows.