LEMAZ Productions‘ presentation of In Case of Nothing is an interesting and somewhat puzzling show at SummerWorks 2015. Playing at The Box Toronto, In Case of Nothing uses the small space effectively to present the characters of Sina and Levon and their loose interactions.

“This is a quest for meaning, with metaphors that signify nothing.” Or so it says at the end of the website blurb about the show, and sure enough, there is seemingly no major plot line beyond Sina sometimes questioning Levon’s desire to return to his homeland.

Beyond musings about a sand city with a circular square and the benefits of tea, the main through line of the show is focused on the interactions between the characters and their sometimes contrasting levels of liveliness.

I was impressed by the layered nature of Levon Haftvan’s physical presentation of his character. His various reactions – from glee to exasperation – to Sina Gilani’s more energetic performance are some of the highlights of the show. Even when Sina was speaking, I was drawn to Levon to see how he was receiving Sina’s words. When Haftvan does speak, it is all the more impactful, and I was glad to get to experience his performance.

I found Sina to be a confusing character, however, and when he denied any psychotropic drug use I found I was questioning the veracity of the statement. There was no groundwork laid for why Sina was the way he was, and this led to me being a bit confounded by him and even by how these characters related to each other.

I was also questioning the presence of Yasaman Gerami and Hannah Keeves, and their role with respect to Levon and Sina. They did well playing in sync with each other and had a somewhat haunting presence that added in a positive manner to the mystique of the show.

While I feel I did not entirely understand the subtext of the show overall, I did feel each performer was admirable in presenting the material. In Case of Nothing is definitely interesting material at that.

Details:

In Case of Nothing plays at The Box Toronto (89 Niagara St.)

Remaining performances:

• Friday August 7th 8:00pm,
• Saturday August 8th 8:00pm
• Sunday August 9th 8:00pm
• Monday August 10th 8:00pm
• Tuesday August 11th 8:00pm
• Thursday August 13th 8:00pm
• Friday August 14th 8:00pm
• Saturday August 15th 8:00pm
• Sunday August 16th 8:00pm.

Individual SummerWorks tickets are $15 at the door (cash only). Live Art Series tickets are free – $20. Tickets are available online at summerworks.ca, by phone at 888-328-8384, Monday – Friday 8:30am-5pm, in person at the SummerWorks Info Booth – located at SummerWorks Central Box Office – located at Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst St). Open August 4-16 from 10am-7pm (Advance tickets are $15 + service fee)

Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 3 shows

Photo of Sina Gilani and Levon Haftvan provided by company.