?The Story?, on at the Daylesford Theatre is a play about the disastrous results of taking shortcuts.

?The Story?, written by American Tracey Scott Wilson, opened literally with a shortcut gone wrong with a white couple driving around a bad neighbourhood late at night. They are frightened even though they are only six blocks from the school where they teach every day. The husband (Doug Jones) is shot, and the only thing his wife can say about the murderer?s identity is that he was black, at least she thinks it was a he...

?The Story?, however, is not really about the couple so much as the newspaper ?The Daily? that is trying to cover the event.

The action centres around an aspiring black reporter Yvonne (Khalilah Smith) who has been assigned to the Outlook section of the newspaper which deals with black community issues. It is run by Pat (Jennifer Burrell), an idealist whose sees her job as highlighting the positive things that go on in her community.

The Outlook itself represents a shortcut for the newspaper. Rather than take black issues seriously, or tackle the way that they are handled by the newspaper, the newspaper has simply opened up a corner of the office, hired two black reporters, and left it to them to handle all black issues. The Outlook is essentially a dumping ground.

The play?s tag line is, ?black or white ? you decide, who do you believe??. This is misleading, because this is not a play about black verses white.

The white couple is really just a cliche. The play could have gone on much the same without ever seeing them. ?The Story? is more a play about black verses black. Much of the conflict is an intergenerational one that centres around a young reporter, Yvonne and Pat. Pat believes that as a member of a community you have a responsibility to improve or uplift it. Yvonne believes her only responsibility is towards herself.

?Your generation doesn?t appreciate the sacrifices that we have made for you,? Pat tells Yvonne.

Yvonne says, ?I would like to be known as a reporter, not a black reporter.?

The real mystery in the story is why Yvonne can?t go on to the Metrodesk as she desires.

Is it racism? If she was white would she have been reassigned to the department of her choosing? We never really see a contrasting white career to use as a benchmark.

Maybe it is racism, and maybe it isn?t. Many of the things that Yvonne chafes at, having her stories edited beyond recognition, being assigned bottom-of-the-pile stories, are pretty typical for an entry level reporter. It is something reporters have to go through to advance. Just as in any career, in journalism you have to prove yourself. According to Pat, she hasn?t proved herself. Her work is sloppy and inaccurate. Yvonne is too impatient to stick things out, and looks for a short cut.

At one of her many community centre assignments, a young girl (Tamicka Johnson) tells Yvonne she is the one who murdered the school teacher. Yvonne sees this confession as a quick route to the Metrodesk. However, her circumnavigation of office protocol has disastrous consequences.

The play is creative in the way that individual scenes are arranged. Some scenes are a series of cutaways and flashbacks. For example the audience sees Yvonne holding separate conversations with colleague Neil (Omar Emery) and her boyfriend (Doug Jones), without ever having moved. The conversation shift is indicated by a change in lighting.

One scene lasts only a minute, with no dialogue, just the white school teacher?s wife, Jessica, (Debbie Pharoah) sitting in a chair switching channels. It?s ironic that one of the simplest, shortest scenes in the play with no dialogue is one of the most effective.

?The Story? is a quiet BMDS production with few bells and whistles. It is essentially neighbourhood theatre. While some of the actors will be familiar to local theatregoers ? Khalilah Smith performed in last year?s ?Tony & Tina?s Wedding? ? other performers are new to the drama scene. For example, it is understood that this is one of the first plays for Omar Emery.

Productions like ?The Story? are important because they present an opportunity for people interested in drama such as messengers (essentially the chorus) Renneka Hill, Tauria Raynor and Juanee Scott, to get their feet wet.

However, the opening night of ?The Story? could have benefited from some extra rehearsal time. Several of the performers stumbled over, or repeated lines. With the cutaway format, timing was critical, but at times the pacing seemed a little off.

Also, the body language of some of the performers was wooden with only their hands doing the acting. This is an important point, because in a talkie play where there is very little in the way of props, background, or action, body language is really the only relief the audience has from the endless dialogue.

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