Reverie Theatre company is a troupe founded by Winnipeg native Donovan Jackson, who moved to Toronto in 2012. His approach to theatre is a little more non-traditional. He focuses on interpretive moment, puppetry, and depicts story through imagination. Donovan has worked with a number of theatrical companies and has performed in multiple fringe festivals and the InspiraTO Festival. Helping Donovan turn his original piece into something bigger is Rex Tang, who is the production manager and musical composer of “Once You Found It.”
Together, the two Canadian artists have put together a piece of contemporary theatre focusing on depression and love. *Once You Found It* tells the story of Bruce. He loses his parents at a young age and is trying to find ways to cope. He remembers memories from days he spent with his wise grandmother, who was his optimism, his shoulder when he needed her. Despite all of the heartbreak Bruce has been facing in his life, in walks Sam. He loves her. She will never let him down, and they have fun being by each other’s side. Bruce does not know how to tell Sam how he feels when he is still being faced by his own inner demons.
Follow writer and performer Donovan Jackson as he takes you on a journey through the struggles of fighting with depression, anxiety, and love. *Once You Found It* is an hour in length and a one-man show monologue. Donovan (Bruce) uses masks and movement to represent the dark demon inside of him, controlling his mind. Puppetry, props, and projections reflect and showcase his memories with Sam, his parents, and grandmother.
Donovan was graceful in his movements; you could tell he is a trained dancer. His brief prop and voice changes were quick and transitioned with ease as he dove into memories with people that he loved.
The imagery Donovan was able to take from his mind and put it onto a stage was brilliant. Being able to show what depression looks like is a huge achievement. Mental health is something that still is not talked about as much as it should be, so I give Donovan and Rex a round of applause for allowing the audience to see what it looks like inside someone's mind.
