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Marcus Youssef and James Long, both of whom are part of the Vancouver theater scene, portray characters called "Marcus" and "James," friends who are part of the Vancouver theater scene; thus, the entire enterprise is layered in reality, or at least the air of reality, raising the stakes all around. After Marcus and James introduce themselves to the audience, they sit facing each other across a long table. Each has a bell in front of him, the kind you would see on the desk of a hotel. They are about to embark on a game they call "winners and losers." One of them names an object, a concept, or a topic, and they debate whether it is a "winner" or a "loser." For example, is a microwave oven a "winner" because it can quickly heat up your coffee, or is it a "loser" because it is potentially dangerous? Even with the occasional suggestion from the audience ("cats" was tossed out at the performance I attended), this kind of barroom-type game can wear thin quickly, especially if you are only an onlooker. But keep an eye on how things develop as the subject matter moves to more serious issues, and as those bells become a means not only of marking the end of a round, but also of dinging declarations of emphasis, victory, attack, and defeat or concession. It soon becomes clear that it is not only microwaves and cats that are on trial here, but also Marcus and James, only one of whom can walk away the winner. Director Chris Abraham paces the 90-minute intermissionless play so that the shift in tone comes on gradually, from a jokey buddy outing to one in which the game morphs into a wrestling match and a round of ping pong, and eventually enters into a deeper airing of grievances and resentments. In the end, the only thing Marcus and James can do is glare at one another across the table and wait for one of them to declare the evening to be over. The real Marcus and James do an excellent job of portraying their theatrical selves, and, while Winners and Losers may not present itself in the form of a traditional play, as a psychological dramatization of friends on the brink of mutual destruction, it is most definitely a winner.
Winners and Losers
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