Perfect Pie

by Judith Thompson

In the course of an afternoon's reuinion between two long-estranged women, a buried memory, and two teenager's wild secret, slams into the present. "Thompson has the best ear of any playwright now writing in Canada."—Carole Corbeil, The Globe & Mail

Genres: Plays

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play is very personal to me. It's hard for me to convey all of the feelings I have for this play, but I can say with confidence that this play is as devastating as it is beautiful.

The plot surrounds two close childhood friends who meet for an afternoon well after each woman has started her own family. The play oscillates between the afternoon and memories the women share. The ending is horrifying. However, I have never been one to believe a story has to be "happy" or "uplifting" to be great. I actually prefer darker tales. In any case, this play is excellent.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

theyre gay youre honour

[Julian Munds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect Pie shows the accidental nature of quality. In examining the play I can see that there are snippets in relationships thrown down on glue like sequins. Some stick but also lots falls off. At the core there is a good arc for a one act play here. But this play is two acts. There is so much fat present. In over written gratuitous monologues and turns into melodramatic memory. It is so clear there came a point in the career of Judith Thompson where she though all of her work was gold and should be seen. But that's not the case. There are moments over written in this play. Unstageable pointless exposition. It seems like the focus of the play was often lost and that if this is the script they went up with, and it looks as so, there was much that should have been cut. But at its core there is a good relationship here that would be valuable to see. Too bad it is lost in gratuity.

[chickienuggies™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Didn't expect this to have such a somber tone at parts, and while I don't think it's groundbreaking, there's something about it I like. Maybe it's just interesting that so much can come out of dialogue between the same two characters. Not really sure, but there's some nuance between the women that I appreciate!

[Emma M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the fact that the whole story is a conversation between the two women, and yet you get the sense that so much has happened and that there are many more characters.

[Dinara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the monologues and the story overall

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm not the most well versed person in the world when it comes to Canadian drama, I have my opinions on this play. I appreciate that it's written by a female and concerns the nature of a friendship and how an event from the past has made its way into the present. Gave me a good perspective on life in rural Ottawa. I will state that the publishers could have done a better job of editing, as I found numerous typographical errors.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play is an upsetting yet thought-provoking commentary of the psyche of two traumatized women remembering an accident that occurred decades ago that continues to haunt them every day. Though the events were ambiguous at first, the alternation between the past an present artfully unravelled the story of their friendship leading to the life-shaking event.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good play. Thompson does a great job of looking at the traumas of two very different best friends at three different stages of their lives. This play has also been made into a movie sharing the same title, which features Rachel McAdams. Both the play and the movie are worth checking out!

[Joti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story's great - the suffering and cruelty in a small town and then trying to get away from that life and then returning to it. It would be an interesting production especially with the past and present overlapping a bit at the end

[Tfalcone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little play!

[Judy Cormier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a chilling story! I will definitely find time to read more from this author. I'd love to see this play performed professionally.