Original independent play ‘Amsterdam’ is a women’s coming-of-age manifesto

By Kat Karpoff
@katkarpoff

Dan McPeake makes his playwright debut exploring existential themes in Amsterdam, a one-act play now showing at Douglas College.

The age-old questions Who am I? and What is time? are taken on head first.

The production explores the nuances of three women lives as their thoughts and timelines intertwine, bringing their hopes and dreams to the forefront. 

McPeake skirts the line of hyper-artistic and incredibly simplistic, delving into heady themes that deliver questions surrounding the human condition and crises of identity.

Amsterdam is a small cast mixed with new and seasoned talent. Katelyn Pedersen, Juliana Bergstrom, Stefani Delisimunovic, Kurtis Maguire and Julien Hicks star in the production. Bergstrom, as Kate, brought the audience to tears: her portrayal alone is worth the ticket. 

Pedersen and Delisimunovic took on beautifully broken characters at a discord with life. Maguire the quirky shrink was mild comic relief in this somewhat heavy play.  And Hicks, the youngest cast member, did a stand-out job of playing Manny, a young man being thrown into the mix of crazy and lost women.  

The show was stage managed by Cherisse Miranda and Sound Designed by Cj McGillivray. A small cast and crew with a big message.

Amsterdam runs from May 3 to 6 at 7:30 p.m. and on May 7 at 2 p.m. at Douglas College Studio Theatre in New Westminster. 

Kat Karpoff is a modern hippie, actress, writer, and lover of all things creative.