By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A struggling writer named Holly (Deb Dagenais) is having a complete meltdown from writer’s block. Inspiration outruns her, and no amount of fussing about in her run-down basement apartment makes the words flow. To make matters worse, her already frustrating day is unexpectedly interrupted by a drop-in visit from a fellow school mom named Pam (Christine Ann Marchetti), who has a matter of imperative importance to discuss. Pam suspects, and declares outright, that her teenage son Evan has been secretly dating Holly’s daughter Jodie, whom Pam has never met. She and Holly need to talk about it.
This surprise descent on Holly’s messy life is chaotically supplemented by a barge-in from Holly’s loud and crass friend Cheryl (played by Kimberly Jonasson), who swoops in belting out a story about a lost contraceptive. She also comes bearing the secret ingredient for relieving the high tension: a tin full of homemade brownies laced with drugs.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, marked the opening night of West End Studio Theatre’s The Myth of the Ostrich, directed by returning local director Yo Mustafa, who enjoyed success earlier this year at West Plains United Church’s Plains Road location with a production of A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room. The Myth of the Ostrich is a one-act drama-comedy written by Matt Murray that explores, through the convoluted dynamics and discussions of three women with very different personalities, themes of sexuality, religion, self-identity, and parenthood. The storyline is directed toward adults, but teenage audience members can also appreciate how open-mindedly the narrative tackles the tricky subject of youth dating.
It’s an outrageously funny play that relies on social etiquette and the concept of what constitutes proper adult behaviour being completely unravelled at the seams for its humour. The story starts off with Pam, Holly, and Cheryl attempting to have regular grown-up conversations about casual subjects such as work and relationships. But the premise of decorum, already thin, is completely torpedoed the moment Pam accidentally ingests one of Cheryl’s special brownies.
It’s not long before this straight-laced PTA parent is so high that she’s giggling her head off and shrieking about wanting to play Girl Guides games with her new friends. Holly and Cheryl have to scramble to keep Pam safe and out of trouble for what is most definitely the longest trip of this woman’s life.
Audiences have to commit to the show’s somewhat slow pacing in the first quarter so that they can reach the hilarious parts that will have them shaking with laughter. Marchetti does an impressive job depicting the ridiculous antics of someone who has clearly never taken drugs before suddenly being under the influence. Her Pam is repressed and frustrated to the point of bursting, always raising her voice an octave too high and teetering on the point of a breakdown even before gobbling up the brownie. Pam quickly outperforms Holly’s own impending crash-out at the beginning of the play, and then rules the roost when she’s high and completely uncontainable. This character won’t be outdone.
Dagenais and Jonasson also give solid performances as two conspiratorial friends who are clearly hiding secrets from Pam. Dagenais’s Holly has her own issues, which she unselfishly puts aside in order to take care of a spiralling Pam. Jonasson’s Cheryl is a riot with no filter whatsoever. She’s not afraid to confront Pam about her old-fashioned attitudes.
Mustafa’s style of direction has these characters constantly overstepping physical and emotional boundaries with each other, before they’re finally able to form something resembling a friendly rapport. The apartment, with its hanging laundry and cluttered tabletops that contain this domestic circus, is a collaboration between stage manager Laura Moran, props and costumes coordinator Charles MP, and assembled crew. All parties can be commended for playing their part to tell this trippy tale.
Tickets to all remaining performances of West End Studio Theatre’s Myth of the Ostrich can be purchased here. After the show closes, the company will begin preparing for their production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, which is set to open at West Plains United Church on Thursday, December 3, 2026.
