Following a heart that's a fish

Take a little bit of Moulin Rouge, for its surreal imagery woven into song and drama, add a dash of Sholem Aleichem storytelling, for its Jewish themes and its ironic humor, and throw in a little synchronized swimming, for its ... well ... synchronized swimming, and you'll have a good idea of what The One That Got Away is like. Not that this helps with the story much, but at many levels, the narrative is secondary to the experience of the play.

The One that Got Away tells the story of Hannah, who has a fish where her heart should be. On his deathbed (when the play opens), Hannah's grandfather, Victor, steals her heart and takes it with him to the underworld. To get her heart back, Hannah must follow him. The journey takes them both through relationships with family, friends and several past wives, and helps Victor come to terms with his life and ultimate end.

If one can break the play down, it's done in six scenes, each one taking place in a different area of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC). Starting right in the foyer, the audience must wrap itself around and down the stairwell leading to the Holocaust Centre for the play's opening. They are then ushered along through the bowels of the JCC to the pool area, where subsequent scenes take place in the large pool, small pool and hot tub.
The choreography, costumes, music and set design are perhaps the most intricate and certainly the most imaginative you'll see for a Chutzpah! performance. And the acting and singing by Marvin Kaye (Victor) is tremendous. But don't go expecting a linear story line that's easy to follow. The imagery and metaphor are pervasive and often too abstract to understand. But the sheer experience of the performance makes attending well worth it.

Some tips if you go: Get there early to ensure a seat on the stairs and in the pool area; don't dress too warmly as the pool area is hot; be prepared to stand for the full 90 minutes if you aren't lucky enough to find seating.

The One that Got Away is written by Kendra Fanconi, directed by Kim Collier and co-created with Electric Company. The cast includes Peter Anderson, Jonathon Young, Allen Zinyk, Jan Kudelka, Judy Closky, Kaye and Fanconi. It plays at the JCC until March 17. Call 604-689-0926 or 604-257-5111 for information."