The Shoe
at West Niagara

Reviewed on April 26, 2023

Evan Ganski
Laura Secord
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

You're driving when out of the corner of your eye you catch a glimpse of it. An abandoned shoe on the side of the road. But how did it get there? West Niagara's production of "The Shoe" seeks to answer that question through a series of nine vignettes that mix big comedy with heartfelt emotion.

From a humorously over-the-top scene where a librarian schools some disaffected teenagers (The Library), to a conversation between a brash old woman and a nurse about growing old and losing the ones you love (Nursing Home), this production is delightfully eclectic, though all scenes are unified by the central motif of leaving behind a shoe; tying them together with an acknowledgment of the multitudinous lives and stories all around us that we may never directly experience, but are happening every day.

Throughout the production, what was most evident was the sheer passion of all of the performers. Though sometimes leaning into overacting, the players demonstrated fantastic use of expression and near-flawless delivery, and it was clear from the audience's laughter that the promise of a good time was fulfilled tenfold. Especially notable was the comedic timing; every moment was right on cue without so much as a single missed beat, maximizing the impact of every scene, as every actor clearly gave their all.

Nick Klassen and Maggie Heeringa as Ron and Cindy deserve special recognition for their performances in The Bikers scene, as they demonstrated exceptional comedic interplay, hilarious expressions, and spot-on delivery, and really made their role as a married couple feel both authentic and larger than life.

Also deserving praise are Gavin MacGillivray, Hannah Bruinsma, and Kaelan Polmanter-Gentle as Charlie, Linda, and Mike for a surprisingly poignant vignette about a couple helping their son pack for university (Leaving Home). Between Linda and Mike, a touching conversation about dealing with an empty nest is had, interspersed with comedic segments wherein the safety-obsessed mother makes sure the son packs absolutely everything he may ever need lest the worst-case scenario comes to pass. The actors here displayed excellent subtlety and dialogue in the quieter segments and really got across a depth of emotion, providing a fitting end to the production.

Overall, West Niagara's performance of "The Shoe" was a wonderfully comedic look at the multitude of stories and people behind every discarded object and may convince you to pay more attention to the small, forgotten things we often overlook.

Sameera Ahmad
Sir Winston Churchill
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

"Every shoe has a story."

West Niagara Secondary School's remake of "The Shoe", written by one of its directors, Ms. Short, is 90 minutes of heartfelt laughter. From life lessons to rekindling old flames, this vignette-stringed play tied up its laces and stepped its best foot forward.

"The Shoe" is a series of nine vignettes, each telling the backstory of how a shoe ends up in its allocated spot. From shoes thrown in angsty libraries to being left in the woods, there is never a dull moment in this play. Following the motto of "Every shoe has a story," these nine backstories are humorous, bittersweet, and deep, as the play explores themes such as gratitude, respect, "you don't know what you have until it's gone," and what it means to be human.

Engaging the audience with the very first scene, Ron, played by Nick Klassen, is accompanied by his ever-so-lovely wife Cindy, played by Maggie Heeringa. The couple's dynamic had the audience dying of laughter as Ron made harmless comments about his wife, which were blown out of proportion by Cindy's pent-up frustration. The two inhabited their roles perfectly and portrayed their emotions clearly through tone, line speed, and hot versus cool body language. Nick Klassen and Maggie Heeringa greeted opening night with a lighthearted outlook that set the scene for the rest of the performance.

On the other hand, rekindling old love to a spark that has died out has never been more humorous than when Officer Maggie, played by Alex Lupish, crossed paths with her former partner Dylan, played by David Krick, and his wife Rebecca, played by Opal Silverthorne. Lupish stole the spotlight with her wacky movements and impeccable line delivery, as she played hot potato between good cop and bad cop. Seeing each other as gum underneath their shoes, Lupish and Silverthorne radiated tension and annoyance when arguing over the "trying to keep the peace" Dylan, providing much comedic value. Evident practice was shown as each actor hit their cues right on time, making the performance run smoothly.

Given the size of the intimate theatre, microphones were not used in this performance, making it difficult to hear the calmer lines in the first act. This was resolved after intermission when the actors spoke more loudly while still projecting the right amount of emotion. Proper use of coloured lights and fitting sound effects filled the stage helping to elevate the vignette's mood and setting, making the audience feel as if they were in the scenes themselves.

Ultimately, "The Shoe" broadened the audience's minds with its clever and unique backstories to a simple, overlooked object. As actors laced up, strapped on, or slipped into their shoes, each one sold their roles with their unique chemistry, accurate facial expressions, and ability to become their characters. Because of this, West Niagara's splendid remake of "The Shoe" left a legacy and will be a story to be remembered.

Jules Idigbe
Ridley College
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard


Every shoe has a story. That's the message, West Niagara's performance of "The Shoe" conveys through a series of vignettes written by Meredith Short, one of the directors of the play.

The play features 9 very different but connected short stories as each vignette is the story behind a shoe. West Niagara's cast of 31 students each participated in a single vignette.

The play challenged some actors to portray older characters with experiences they have most likely not gone through. Mackenzie Topp played Rita, a funny yet solemn old lady in a nursing home whose son never really visited, perfectly encapsulating the emotion of her character as she reminisced on the past, even saying she missed doing laundry of all things. Similarly, Hannah Bruinsma, playing Linda, a slightly overprotective mom whose son is about to leave home and go off to college showed the scared, emotional, and sometimes nonsensical behaviour of her character right on, just like Rick, a somewhat befuddled delivery guy with a reputation of always being "right on" with his deliveries. Graham Bellinato, as "Right On" Rick, delivered his lines in a comedic style that perfectly portrayed his character. Although at times the actors were inaudible, this can be attributed to the lack of mics and did not detract from their performances as their facial expressions and body language more than made up for it.

The set was very minimal, only featuring a projected screen and occasionally, chairs, benches, and tables. One of the highlights of the set was a student creation that resembled the view of a car's front seats, which was expertly made. The lighting was also simple but very effective, especially during the scene featuring the "car" mentioned above where the actors simulated turning off the car lights and the stage lights changed accordingly which was perfectly timed. Using cool and warm tones depending on the scene also greatly enhanced the play experience as cooler-toned lighting was used in a scene set outside in the snowy cold versus warmer-toned lighting used in a library scene, adding to the realism.

West Niagara's "The Shoe" showcased the acting ability of their cast with the vignette style giving almost an equal spotlight to all the actors allowing them to showcase their ability without limitation.

Although each story was completely different from the other, they were all the stories behind lost, forgotten, or abandoned shoes. In fact, now, every time I see an abandoned shoe on the roadside, I will wonder what its story is.