The Last Man on Earth
It’s rare to watch an adult audience break into spontaneous applause throughout a play, like kids having too much fun to act like grown-ups. But that’s what Keystone Theatre‘s style does to people. You get to enjoy a good old-fashioned melodrama made specifically for the stage, and presented with such physical panache, the audience hardly notices there’s no dialogue.
The Last Man on Earth, a new offering by Keystone Theatre, is a silent-movie play, including a live piano man (David Atkinson) playing the keyboard all the way through. The narrative is simple, all about a Devil and his abused Minion and the endangerment of innocence and true love. The actors all fly about the stage for over an hour, communicating their meaning with their bodies, their mouths, arms, legs, and anything else handy. This play reminds us how close to dance theatre can be. It certainly underscores how essential the line of the body and physical movement is to all forms of acting.
Richard Beaune is Keystone’s Artistic Director and developed this acting style. Keystone has done other plays and now offers its latest, The Last Man on Earth, at Canadian Stage on Berkeley. The play is directed by Ginette Mohr, who collaborated in its creation along with David Atkinson, Kimberly Beaune, Sarah Joy Bennett, Dana Fradkin, Janick Hebert, Stephen LaFrenie, and Phil Rickaby.
If you like to laugh, I suspect you’ll have a unique experience at The Last Man on Earth.
Keystone Theatre’s website:
http://www.keystonetheatre.net/
Tickets at Canadian Stage/Berkeley Street Theatre
https://www.canadianstage.com/Online/default.asp
Burke Campbell 
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