Local Theatre Generates Different Perspectives With Latest Production

After years of development, a local theatre company’s latest show is opening a generational divide.

Starting at the Shadowbox Theatre (located at 103b – 1501 Howard Avenue) on February 21st, Post Productions will stage a three week run of Jonathan Tessier’s Which Way, Millennial Man? Winning their 2023 Windsor-Essex Playwriting contest, the story examines themes such as toxic masculinity, generational beliefs and presents them from multiple angles.

First submitted in 2018, finding different viewpoints also played into the story’s evolution.

“Tessier’s script is a 180-degree turn on Shooter, a script he previously submitted in 2018 and 2022,” said producer Michael K. Potter. “That one focused on the aftermath of a school shooting as the shooter was being interrogated at a police station. It was really intriguing and both times it was submitted, the script made it to the second round. So I read four different drafts of it but there was always some missing element that held it back from winning. Then in 2023, [Tessier] submitted Which Way, Millennial Man?. We immediately recognized that it was basically the same story as Shooter but from a totally different perspective. So that piqued my interest right away. He’s the only playwright who’s ever submitted to our contest who’s done this sort of thing.”

Which Way, Millennial Man? centres around Chris (Heath Camlis,) who lives with his successful wife Laura (Nancy Lefebvre.) As the husband remains stuck in a factory job he hates, she’s become more successful, pays their bills and makes most household decisions. Feeling he’s running out of time to figure out his own identity, Chris decides to write a true crime book about the father of a school shooter. In turn, he hopes the project will also lead to him being treated more seriously.

Researching school shootings, the would be author soon gets an opportunity to interview Joe (Joey Ouellette,) whose son murdered 10 students before killing himself in a school shooting. Chris thinks his interviewee can offer insights on the incident from a decade-ago while providing a fresh angle for his book: No one else has written something focused on the parent of a child who’s done such a thing. On the other end, Joe sees it as an opportunity to be heard after feeling largely blamed for his son’s actions.

Before long, the interview subject’s powerful personality, confident old school masculinity and influence put pressure on Chris. As things progress, he’s gradually seduced by Joe’s way of thinking and begins looking at him as a role model of masculinity. Eventually, the author starts thinking this toxic behaviour is what he needs to emulate if he wants respect. This is eventually challenged by Patrick (
Ezra Poku-Christian,) who represents more modern ideals that include compassion and being considerate. The problem? Joe creates a belief that Laura is having an affair with this seemingly more positive influence..

It’s a clash that creates plenty of tension as the story unfolds.

“The overall mood I wanted to create for this script was a blend of comedy and drama,” said Tessier. “I also wanted to make the audience cringe and feel uncomfortable at parts. I believe part of what makes this script so uncomfortable at times is the relationships between the characters and how that creates awkward tension. For instance, the characters of Joe and Patrick are completely different people with very different views on the world and they also don’t know each other very well. This makes for some very uneasy moments in the play that will no doubt have audiences cringing in their seats at times.”

This energy earned Potter’s approval in Post’s 2023 playwriting contest as well.

“”What really stood out to me in the first round was a dinner scene that involved all four characters,” he said. “It’s the only scene in which all four characters are together. It was explosive and raw and unsettling. In the second round, [Tessier] made improvements to that scene that I think ended up leading to changes in some other scenes that defined the characters even more clearly. For me, as a judge, that scene and the ripple effects of his revisions are what made me vote for it as the winner.”

Originally scheduled to debut in May 2024, the play was delayed as Post prepared to film their TV series (Up)Staged. Not wanting Which Way, Millennial Man? to suffer as a result, the decision was made to open this season with the 2023 contest winner instead. It also helped ensure Tessier’s ideas were fully realized while being brought to life by the theatre company.

Originally holding auditions in March 2024, this delay forced some changes however.

“The production [of Which Way, Millennial Man?] was compromised and we couldn’t give it the time and energy it deserved,” said director Fay Lynn. “We were also having trouble casting one of the roles so that helped with the decision to postpone. A lot can happen in under a year, so the cast has changed a bit – specifically with the recasting of Joe and Patrick. Of course, the cast we have when the play opens is the right cast. We ended up with four actors who are thoughtful, intelligent and compassionate human beings who seem to get along really well.”

These relationships also created chemistry and pulled the cast together during rehearsals.

“We always cast for chemistry in addition to talent,” said Potter. “The four actors in Which Way, Millennial Man? have terrific chemistry together on and off stage. They’re supportive and encouraging of each other. [Camlis] and [Lefebvre] have a remarkably similar energy, as do [Ouellette] and [Poku-Christian.] Having worked with [Camlis] before, I knew he would spontaneously burst into song and dozens of different voices at any moment. I was unprepared for how much [Lefebvre] shared those tendencies and how much those two would feed off each other. They’ll just spontaneously create a song in between scenes or start improvising or developing scenes together as completely different characters. It’s like they’re twins who found each other after many years apart.”

Gathering in November 2024, rehearsals began with discussions about character motivations and conscious or subconscious choices they make throughout the play. Not wanting to create caricatures by leaning too heavily on drama, the director and cast instead used the script’s complex dynamics. Coming at their roles through empathy and understanding, this let each actor explore their imperfect characters to create relatable fleshed out performances.

It also put them in a place to draw from real life inspiration.

“Laura’s experience in the play mirrors events from my own life in many ways,” said Lefebvre. “I’ve been that wife who puts on a smile, picks up the slack, keeps having the same fights and endures the little paper cuts until they became too much to bear. On the surface, Laura can sometimes come across as cold or heartless but the truth is she’s grieving. She’s watching her relationship with the person she loves most slip away and every day she’s torn between fighting for it or letting go. That kind of inner conflict isn’t easy to portray, but working closely with [Lynn,] [Potter] and [Camlis] helped me bring out both the heartbreak and the strength in her character. Laura isn’t just a woman in crisis—she’s also compassionate, patient and resilient. I wanted to make sure the audience saw that too.”

Putting characters first, Tessier’s work also ensured the story develops organically. Instead of writing a script to illustrate his points, they come from people’s actions in the play. This results in something more authentic and less like a sermon. His approach allowed cast members to interpret characters with rich history to draw upon as well.

With so much raw energy, actors were also able to bring unique elements to the forefront.

“There’s a lot of what is the meaning of things,” said Ouellette. “Because a lot of the issues are surface level, it was more fun as an actor since the audience gets to see us bleed openly — figuratively) speaking. Often in theatre, intentions and repercussions are hidden and only glimpsed. These characters are raw, natural and brutally honest.  The best way to convey the play’s themes is to stay in your truthful character.”

Beyond masculinity, Which Way, Millennial Man? touches upon other important issues as well. This includes societal fixation on violence, voyeurism, sensationalism, white privilege and racial biases, misogyny, mistrust and how unintended assumptions can shape our perceptions.

Examining these ideas with nuance, it takes surrounding discourse past an “us vs. them” mentality.

“Which Way, Millennial Man? is a play that everyone should see because we’re living in strange times,” said Lefebvre. “We’re constantly at odds with the people around us — whether it’s because of social norms, generational divides or personal struggles we don’t always know how to navigate. The themes in this play—identity, toxic masculinity, privilege and the labels we put on ourselves and others—are so relevant and need to be talked about. I hope people leave the show thinking about how they connected with the characters and maybe even learning something about themselves in the process. Maybe it’s understanding what white privilege really means, realizing it’s time to leave a toxic relationship or asking themselves why they don’t trust their spouse. If this play gets people thinking, questioning and having those tough but important conversations, that’s what makes it worth seeing.”

Presented at the Shadowbox Theatre, Which Way, Millennial Man will be staged on February 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th, March 1st, 6th, 7th and 8th. All performances start at 8:00pm, with doors opening at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased online or at the door via cash, debit or credit if seats remain.

Encompassing many things, Tessier hopes those in attendance will leave with a different view on at least one of them.

“What I hope audiences will take away from this script is an understanding of the struggles that men face in everyday social dynamics,” said Tessier. “There is this perception that living as a straight white male is easy and in many ways that’s true. But that statement overlooks the pressure and societal expectations placed on men to constantly prove their masculinity in everyday life. I don’t want people to think men are ‘under attack’ or that these problems are comparable to bigotry, but I just want people to recognize the challenges these men face and grasp why letting go of certain beliefs can be difficult for them.”

For more information about Post Productions’ upcoming events and the company itself, those interested can visit their website.