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by Tim C. Murphy, directed by Rod Carley

Maple Suroor Productions, Toronto Fringe Festival, Factory Studio Theatre, Toronto

July 3-12, 2009

Blind to Happiness... suggests that just as our eyes are have a “blind spot” so do our minds, particularly when it comes to perceiving our own happiness.  Actor and playwright Tim C. Murphy demonstrates this by presenting three contrasting characters--Couks, a former alcoholic in a dead-end job as a dishwasher; Mike, with bipolar disorder, working on a PhD in psychology; and Bliss, an aspiring poet.  Murphy’s transformations from one to the other are amazing. The play’s unusual zigzagging progress is engaging and thought-provoking and, in following Couks’s journey into and out of depression, also very moving. 

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2009-07-04.

Photo: Tim C. Murphy.