When Michelle Riml and her friend went on a camping trip to Haynes Point Provincial Park a few years ago, things did not exactly go as planned.
We were hoping wed have this relaxing time, but we instead had to deal with this windstorm and our tent was blowing all over the place, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»playwright says with a laugh. We had to sleep in the car and it wasnt that fun.
But instead of wishing she was back in the comforts of home, the North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»native was starting to think about her next play.
My friend was probably thinking about packing up and going home, but I was thinking this would make a really funny play. I thought, What would Henry and Alice be like in this situation?
The story idea born that weekend is called Henry and Alice: Into the Wild, which makes its debut at the Granville Island Stage on April 25, running until May 26. The story resurrects two characters, Henry and Alice Lane, from Rimls past play, Sexy Laundry.
I actually had no interest in bringing them back, she says, but for some reason the idea popped in my head. I wondered how Henry and Alice would do at a campsite. I thought it would be an interesting environment in comparison to the previous play which was at a high-end hotel.
Not only does Riml place them in a different environment, she also explores timely issues through the characters, who are now facing the challenges and uncertainty of a tough economy. Henry has lost his job and the camping trip is the result of a tighter budget.
They had all of these plans and they thought they knew where they were going with their lives, explains Riml. A lot of people are facing the fact of losing their job or losing their pension and are like, What do we do now?
Riml has learned a lot from her characters.
When youre pointing fingers at somebody else and youre angry at them, it usually has something to do with me and what Im scared of, says Riml, who has been married for 15 years. Ive definitely learned to give my husband space and to definitely not argue with him when putting up the tent.
For ticket information for Henry and Alice: Into the Wild, go to
