Fringe 2009: The Saddest Girl in the World

Tina Teeninga creates a trio of fascinating women in this solo show. Ava is an innocent dreamer who finds work at a jewellery store because she wants to bring light and colour into people’s lives. Her boss, Laura, is a spoiled rich girl, jaded about her success in retail: “It’s called push,” she says, “but it looks and feels more like a massage.” Natya was an engineer in Kosovo, but the only job she can find in Canada is janitorial work at the store. Teeninga’s writing is intimate, lyrical, and detailed, emphasizing character rather than story. “Raindrops like raisins plunk against her umbrella,” says Ava, recounting a childhood memory, and Natya confides that “sleep is the furnace of nightmares.” Teeninga’s performance is warm and natural.

At Carousel Theatre on September 18 (5 p.m.), 19 (3 p.m.), and 20 (7 p.m.)

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