In the summer of 2000, Evan Brown waited in line at the Charlottetown Civic Centre with locals eager to shake then-prime minister Jean Chrétien's hand. But Brown had other plans up his sleeve.
Actually, he had a paper plate of whipped cream in his jacket, which he deftly delivered to the PM's face. The act earned him national news coverage and a stint in jail, and eventually drove him away from his home province.
Twelve years later, Brown, who is currently the technical director at The Bus Stop Theatre, steps out from behind the scenes to tell his story.
There's no swagger here---instead, his monologue is full of reflection and self-deprecation. Brown knows how to engage and charm an audience, balancing humour with moments that are alternately moving and unsettling. He places his split second of mischief into a bigger picture of political dissent, authority figures, family, and personal responsibility. Background video footage and a recurring motif of lights help to pull it all together. Brown is now a father, and we get the impression that his pie-ing days are behind him. If acting is his preferred mode of expression these days, however, that's good news for Halifax. —Jaime Forsythe