Just when the world of high culture couldn’t become wackier following the short-lived tour of “An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical,” a one-man show in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, offers up a one-man show called “Roof.”
The set-up involves a man named Dave, a successful real estate agent living the dream: Dave has a hot car, a hot wife, smart kids, an unbelievable sound system, a designer kitchen and a steam shower.
Pleased with himself, Dave decides to launch a self-improvement video series called #HiMyNameIsDave, but as he gets underway, a major issue develops with his roof, and cracks in his perfect world follow suit.
Enter Steve, a journeyman roofer who aspires to be a stand-up comic — and the only person capable of dealing with Dave’s narcissistic hypervigilance. As Dave and Steve attempt to collaborate on the roof project, Stevie forces the self-absorbed lunkhead to confront his shortcomings and come to terms with what being a “good person” actually means.
“Roof,” written by Canadian actor Lucas Myers, plays both characters, who he describes as complete opposites.
“As an actor, one of the things I really enjoy is playing big characters, so this show is fun for me because I get to do that more than once,” Myers said in an interview with the Surrey Now-Leader newspaper. “It’s fun to play a confident and cocky character while at the same time playing a very down-to-earth character.”
Myers said the show's message is to underscore the importance of not judging people by their situations but approaching them with empathy.
“For the show, I am using the themes of homelessness and mental health to discuss that, but I think it can be applied to all kinds of situations,” he explained. “These issues have been around long before COVID showed up, and while they have been brought to the fore, they will be here for a long time; if we can figure out how to shift our perspective to support the most vulnerable people, we’ll stand a better chance of having some positive outcomes.”
Myers’ previous performances include “Dress,” “EAST,” “DECK,” “HELLO BABY,” “In the Beginning: The Origin of the Cromoli Brothers,” “iShow,” “CAMPGROUND,” and “Randy From Creston!” In “Deck,” another solo show, he played a neurotic single parent. He built an actual deck for the set on the Surrey Arts Centre stage and raffled off the structure post-show.
"[Myer’s show] examines preconceptions around mental health, addiction and being unhoused," said Nicola Enright-Morin, a comedian and writer who also publicizes shows presented by Surrey Civic Theatres. "This timely show highlights issues at the forefront of people’s minds, including the lack of non-market housing in Surrey and across Canada."
“Roof” will play at the Centre Stage Theatre at Surrey City Hall on Nov. 9 and has an audience advisory for strong language and mature themes — no doubt foisted on the Steve character. Tickets are C$29. If you can’t make it to Surrey, you can catch Myers’ show in Coquitlam, another Vancouver suburb, from Nov. 12 to 16.
After this, we suspect “Roofer, the Musical” can’t be far behind.
If you find yourself in Vancouver and want to see the show, click HERE for the box office.
