Reading: Crawlspace (Théâtre Français de Toronto)

Crawlspace is a scathing comedy about a woman who buys a small house in a pittoresque Toronto neighbourhood. Thinking she’s found the perfect alternative to a condo, she realizes she’s made a big mistake instead.

In this intimate and surreal solo, where the (mostly) true story of this terrible real estate purchase is intertwined with the erotic flights of Martha Stewart Living, Karen Hines deals with Toronto’s brutal real estate market, decorative twig spheres, raccoons and the human soul. Critically acclaimed in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary and seen on tour in several cities, Crawlspace is also available as a podcast via CBC PlayME.

Crawlspace is about property ownership, class struggles, and the “appearance” of money. These are hot topics today, especially in Ontario where the cost of living is skyrocketing and we have less and less access to certain financial milestones, such as buying a home. We laugh in Crawlspace, we laugh a lot, but it’s a laugh of discomfort, a laugh that tries to make us forget the precariousness of our situation.