How does one tackle all of life’s issues in just one hour?

Ask 29-year-old playwright/director Aurora Stewart de Penas.

“I just write,” she says.

Stewart de Penas, co-founder of creative performance collective Birdtown and Swanville, vividly portrays the obstacles life serves up in 36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls. The hysterical, poignant production comes in the form of one-minute vignettes strung together to make for an enjoyable hour. She credits life experience for the honesty in her writing.

“My life and the life of friends helped me,” Stewart de Penas said. “I think the eternal feeling of dread and incompetence that washed over my twenties in the ability to find myself didn’t hurt either. Writing this was a reaction to that.”

The play, which deals with issues of depression, financial debt, unplanned pregnancy, thwarted relationships and family discord—to name a few—gives the audience a look at serious life difficulties from a lighter point of view. Stewart de Penas says that was the intention.

“Dealing with these issues in a way that is humourous, makes them more accessible and relatable,” she said.
“I wanted the audience to see themselves or someone they know.”

Stewart de Penas felt the mother-daughter element would resonate with people. Her mother, a big inspiration in her writing, helps her to express the good and bad of life.

“There’s no one that I want to throttle more. And no one I would miss more if she were gone.”

Stewart de Penas leads an all-female ensemble in a solid performance through crisp dialogue and comedic timing. The innovative transitions to quirky 90s pop music gives the no-frills play, a smooth flow. If you want a good laugh and a unique take on life through the eyes of a woman, get down to the Bread +Circus in Kensington Market. 36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls runs until July 12th.