Last Day At Whoopee Kingdom

MTYP’s Summer Studio—MTYP – Mainstage

Many of us will never forget our first, dead-end job. We also won’t forget what made us stay, come hell or high water; we needed that paycheque, or that reference, or our parents made us, something. This glimpse behind-the-scenes of Whoopie Kingdom might trigger nostalgia or some form of PTSD (or both) for the disgruntled retail or service worker. The production demonstrates a surprising amount of disillusionment and life experience from the teens involved, mixing high school relationships with the struggles and fears of a young adult in the workplace. The commentary on our dominant work culture that couldn’t care any less about the workers is sharp and witty and packaged in no small amount of whimsy. While I wish they had carried their revenge even further, this production carries a lot more depth than I expected. If this is the future of the arts in Winnipeg, it’s a vibrant and resilient future indeed.

Jordan Phillips