Early Genius At Here For Now Theatre
Early Genius, the thoroughly delightful new play by Steve Ross, receiving its world premiere at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre is, according to their website, sold out for its entire run. So what’s the point of writing this rave review?
Well, you can always hang out at the theatre door, like a mendicant at the cathedral, hoping for a no-show. Failing that, perhaps it will encourage those who read it to seek out Early Genius when it is remounted elsewhere. It bloody well should be.
Come to think of it, the Stratford Festival could do a lot worse than mount a season of “Here For Now’s Greatest Hits” at the under-utilized Studio Theatre. But I digress.
Early Genius is set in a classroom for young, gifted students. Very young. Very gifted. Scary gifted. With IQs well above the genius threshold they are smarter than any adult they have ever met. And they know it.
Not only does their knowledge in any number of fields border on the encyclopedic, these early geniuses are studiously more politically correct than thou. And yet they are still, recognizably, children, even if none of them fully seem to believe it.
Into this culture war minefield steps a substitute teacher listed in the programme only as “Sub” (Kevin Kruchkywich), taking over for the children’s beloved Miss Adams. If the administration warned him about what he was going to face with these four kids, age five to seven, they didn’t do a very good job.
Anthony Monaldo (Andrew Perun) is the eldest, but easily reduced to tears by a bully. Harriet, who eschews a surname, (Naomi Ngebulana) has had a heart transplant, which means it’s unlikely she’ll ever see adulthood. Percy Simmons (Aiden deSalaiz) is deeply immersed in the world of musicals and (no surprise) is “proudly out” well before puberty. Beatrice Fielding (Madeline Elliott Kennedy) reads Kierkegaard when she is not silently pining for Percy.
Sub’s cheerful attempts to treat these kids like kids are met with disdain and eventually with downright hostility, especially when they learn he earned his teaching credentials online. They reward his efforts with an emasculating nickname.
In a series of short scenes, Early Genius chronicles Sub’s relationship with his young charges, which grows and matures as he slowly, not always so surely, earns their trust and asserts his role as teacher. His suggestions that the kids shoot a documentary about themselves provides an opening to reveal themselves.
It’s a journey that takes Sub from humiliating failure to grudging appreciation as he grows a spine and asserts his role as teacher. His mission is summed up in his plea, “You’ll have a whole life to be adults; you’ll only be kids for a few years.”
Along the way the kids learn a lot about each other, their limits, and the two-edged sword that is the gift of early genius. For his part, Sub, who has come to embrace the nasty nickname bestowed upon him, earns his spurs as a teacher and the long lasting admiration of his students.
The final scene, a sort of “Where Are They Now” coda, in which we meet the kids as grown-ups with kids of their own, is funny, heartwarming, and surprisingly touching.
If Early Genius is good, the production under the astute direction of Sheila McCarthy is a major achievement. It may just be the best acted play I’ve seen in many years.
The trick in pulling off Early Genius is balancing the adult-like precociousness of these kids with the very real challenges and insecurities that go along with being a kid. Under what I can only assume was McCarthy’s steady guidance the cast delivers beautifully.
If you want to see what finely honed ensemble work looks like, Early Genius is your chance.
Thanks to McCarthy, who created similar magic with Myth of the Ostrich, everyone in Early Genius is excellent but I was especially taken with deSalaiz’s flamboyant Percy, who discovers that maybe, just maybe, he isn’t as sure about his true nature as he thinks.
Kruchkywich arguably has the toughest assignment and he navigates the character’s arc perfectly. He deftly hits every note along the way with the assurance of a major star.
These two actors, by the way, have spent years playing minor roles at the nearby Stratford Festival. It’s a joy to see them get the chance to display their considerable acting chops. That’s just another of the many reasons Here For Now is such a welcome addition to the Stratford scene.
Darren Burkett has created a bright classroom setting awash in bright blue and red and has lit it in the same spirit. I liked his subtle hints that this isn’t your ordinary first grade class. Is that the theory of relativity on the back wall? And, yes, that poster about Greek philosophy sports a picture of Socrates!
When I reviewed Ross’ Life Without in 2023, I described him as “a promising and powerful playwright.” A year later, with his 12 Dinners, I heralded his “emergence as an important Canadian playwright.” Early Genius cements his reputation as one of Canada’s best.
Despite its 75-minute running time, Early Genius is a major work. I look forward to his first full-length play. Maybe when he’s written it the Stratford Festival will premier it. After the 23 seasons he has devoted to becoming one of the Festival’s greatest actors and a sure-fire box-office draw, they owe him.
Early Genius continues at Here For Now Theatre through August 12, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Here For Now Theatre website.
[image: Here For Now Theatre]
For a complete index of reviews CLICK HERE.
Don’t miss another review or blog post! SUBSCRIBE HERE
