Istvan Dugalin ➤

Devin Harrington, Kyle Leung, Melvin Sanchez Caba, Mitchell Daw and Robin Chase from ‘Mind The Umbrellas!’, Photo by Jordan Campbell

Presented by The Purple Stage

“Being near home makes me happy.”

This is the final, unassuming line of Mind The Umbrellas! and it hit pretty hard. This is technically a spoiler, but the company’s program actually spoils the entire show, if you choose to read it and believe an experience can be spoiled by mere descriptions of what happens. You see, the real impact of this line—and the show as a whole—demands your experienced context.

As theatre expands its reach, in terms of accessibility for artists and audiences, the inclusive advancements hold innovative potential. If you like being messed with as a theatre-goer, put in environments and head-spaces that surprise and enlighten, this piece should intrigue you.

Mind The Umbrellas! is a whimsical fever dream and was created by a group of neurodiverse performers with complex disabilities (Devin Harrington, Kyle Leung, Melvin Sanchez Caba, Mitchell Daw and Robin Chase) under the direction of Jordan Campbell, Steph Crothers and Eliza Martin. Taking the form of a stream of consciousness subway train ride that makes stops at both geographical and emotional locations, there is magic and wonderment to be found here if you temper your expectations.

And there are, as promised, actual umbrellas! There is also a travelling rack, a violin, and a multitude of quirky hats and shoes. All of the mini-events seem random and disparate, held together by the through-line of that weird subway ride that spans both continents and dreams and tends to go off-route. On the journey, each of the riders’ idiosyncrasies shine forth. There are colours and noises and the umbrellas sometimes spew confetti during dance numbers.

A couple of office workers are tapping away at some mundane task and take breaks to dream about New York City. A supervisor tells them to “get back to work,” but regardless, a fantasy of playing Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz on Broadway persists. In a particularly hilarious bit, the rest of the group keeps offering up shoes that are absolutely not the ruby red slippers. The dream eventually becomes reality because that’s what’s possible with help and, yes, tempered expectations.

When a series of long, drawn out notes on the violin began to make sense, I wondered if it was just in my imagination that I was hearing “Over the Rainbow,” but eventually the melody reveals itself fully and the whole cast sing the familiar, aspirational anthem. And it brings all the feels.

The whole show is like that, I think. As the performers invite you into their odd little spectacle, you fixate on abstracted gestures. If you pay attention, ideas come into focus. Some of them are your own. But attention is key. Are you making a melody up in your own head? Maybe. But that’s art, baby.

If I had to categorize this, place it in a familiar zone, I’d say it’s a lot like contemporary dance. It’s tactile, full of resonant abstractions of movement, colour and sound. And it’s vulnerable. Like any rewarding encounter, it requires trust and empathy. You have to meet it halfway. I found it silly and beautiful.

Mind The Umbrellas!
@ Toronto Fringe Festival
running July 3 to 14, 2024
Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Ave)
running time: 45 minutes