Maybe being crazy is the only way a person ever gets to truly be who they want to be.
In Scarborough Players latest production, The Curious Savage by John Patrick, some people are "locked away" in an institution, but it takes one woman being locked away against her will to realize what freedom really means and who actually has it.This show is set in 1950 in an institution full of the most beautifully crazy residents you'll ever meet. Each are said to be out of touch with reality and living in one of their own to keep them sane and safe from the world they fear.As the show begins, the residents Fairy May (Marisa King), Florence (Shelley Mitchell), Jeffrey (Zac McKendrick), Mrs. Paddy (Caron Garside) and Hannibal (Chris Hardess), are eagerly awaiting their new "housemate," Mrs. Ethel Savage (Robin Phillips).From the moment she arrives, it's clear we are in for a treat with her blue hair, witty demeanour and the oversized teddy bear she takes everywhere. A widow from a wealthy family, Mrs. Savage has been put in the home by her stepchildren, Titus (Jonathan Aitken), Lily Belle (Catherine Meyer) and Samuel (Tom Girling), who are concerned their stepmother has lost her mind by frivolously spending the family fortune.They are quite pleased with themselves until they realize their mother has sold most of the family assets and turned them into bonds, which she has hidden and refuses to say where.This has them on a wild goose chase orchestrated by Mrs. Savage and it becomes a game of wit and strategy to regain her freedom. The residents are eccentric: Fairy May, forever childlike and obsessed with beauty; Florence, who carries around a doll that she calls her son and Hannibal who plays the violin with no skill, but still plays.There is Jeffrey, scarred by the war and always covering his face, and Mrs. Paddy, who never speaks unless she wants to rhyme off all the reasons she hates the world. All these personalities in a room, along with Mrs. Savage's predicament, lends to some funny moments.This show is full of humour and it comes from not making fun of those who are deemed "unwell" but from their unique personalities and how they react to others and the outside world.This show really explores three stories within it: The relationship between Mrs. Savage and her stepchildren and their money fiasco, the relationships between the residents, as well as the one between them and Mrs. Savage.While it may not be a story for everyone, the actors are so talented in their roles and director Elaine O'Neal did a fantastic job putting her vision on stage. The set was a cozy sitting room and they were scenes that were so beautiful, you could hear a pin drop in the room.The first and second acts are slow, and there may be a point while watching it when you think, 'What is this show about'? But with the amount of diverse characters and stories within the show, you come to realize it takes awhile to know these people, their history and dynamics. It takes some patience, but once it's all established, it comes together in the third act, which is nothing short of moving and eye opening. You come to like these characters when you understand them better and a few even surprise you with the unexpected. The remaining shows of The Curious Savage are Dec, 10 - 12, 17 - 18, 8 p.m., 13 and 19, 2 p.m., at Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd. Tickets are $17 and $14 for students and seniors on Thursdays and Sundays only. For tickets, call 416-267-9292.