Extra/Beautiful/U is an insightful story about appearances, how we are perceived, and how we think we are judged by others. It is sharp, witty, and thought-provoking. It asks if we are projecting our needs and wants onto others. Or are we being willfully blind.
Lara (Madeleine Scovil, giving a full portrait behind a mask) is a reality show/social media star who suffered severe facial injuries in a car accident. Sam (Cara Rebecca, very good with repressed anger) is a gifted doctor who wants to use her own research to reconstruct Lara’s face. Lara’s mother Angie (the excellent Toni Ellwand) is concerned that Lara’s beauty will not be restored and she will not have a good life. In the meantime, Lara’s sister Louise, who has Down’s Syndrome, is becoming a social media star in her own right. Louise (a delightful Stephanie Torriani) wants to move out and live with her boyfriend but Angie will not allow it. She uses social media to tell her story and advocate for her right to independence. She also spills the beans about Lara, in spite of being told by her mother and sister to keep quiet about their lives. Sam has secrets too. She is plagued by memories of the toxic relationship and unrequited attraction to Lara when they were teens. Beauté (Sean Ryan, full of bright energy), a transwoman nurse assigned to Lara, is concerned that Sam’s past will affect her judgment.
The characters are as unique as anyone we meet in life but they are all connected in an unexpected way: how they appear to the world and their need to be validated by that world. They are not heroic. They take advantage of each other for personal gain and career opportunities. Lara is selfish, manipulative, and uses her beauty as currency for fame. Her mother Angie wails constantly about her difficult life and how Lara makes her look to others. She plays the martyr and uses it to control her daughters. Louise is energized by her social media success, at the expense of her family. Sam is using Lara’s fame for attention to her own career. Beauté’s journey to transition opens her eyes that all is not as it seems. As Lara’s recovery progresses, the true nature of each character unfolds.
The pacing of the show is not very tight. There are scenes that seem repetitive and meandering. While some of the characters are infuriating, they are intriguing. The sets are outstanding. The social media visuals and other imagery are very good.
Looks are important. They can inform an idea about a person. But, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. The trick is whether our eyes are open to what we truly see. Sometimes, that truth can be hard to accept.
Photo Credit: Maxime Côté
Extra/Beautiful/U. Written by Michaela Di Cesare. Directed by Caitlin Murphy. Show continues to December 9, at the Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier, Old Montreal. For tickets call the box office at 514-288-3161 or go to www.centaurtheatre.com
