A Little Black Lie to keep things interesting at the Canadian Stage

BY: LEANNE BENN

“Would you like my autograph?” was one of the first and sweetest greetings received from the youngest and brightest star, of “A Little Black Lie,” Soriyah Crossfield at its Canadian premiere at the Berkley Street Theatre in downtown Toronto. Berkley Street Theater or better known as The Canadian Stage housed the Crossfield House production of A Little Black Lie from Sept 19-23.

Soriyah follows the lead of her parents, especially her father, Troy Crossfield who is the playwright and stars as the lead role of “Michael”. It’s safe to say with this production, all the actors hold a special and dominant place on stage with the characters that they bring to life right before your eyes. They form a family that goes beyond those who are related or not.

Together, the on-stage version of this family proves to be dysfunctional, wild, fun, loving, and hilarious and this takes the audience on a wild ride with each changing act. If the name A Little Black Lie sounds familiar, in 2017, Crossfield House Productions presented A Little White Lie for its Canadian debut. The play was written by Troy Crossfield and co-produced by Chantal Goring.

As a multi-talented artist, writer, and, actor, Troy Crossfield was able to transform his idea of an online web series into a theatrical production.

“As a playwright, I was always writing stories and coming up with ideas for movies and plays in my head, I’m that guy who can find a meal out of an empty cupboard and people look at me and be like… “Where did you get food from?” Crossfield expressed in an official message to attendees.

A Little White Lie was all about pretense and living under a veil in order to achieve what you want. In A Little Black Lie, characters deal with past relationships, self-awareness, and discovery. There are 17 different characters that the audience is introduced to in A Little Black Lie, but for those familiar with A Little White Lie, there are some parts of that play that presents itself in this one. Pretending to be fine when everything is not fine is a common theme throughout.

In an exclusive chat with actor, Danian Lloyd who plays the character, Darius, he expressed that his role plays this charismatic, nothing is wrong with the world guy that thinks highly of himself 24/7. A role that tested Lloyd to push himself. 

“I play a typical Scarborough man, definitely not me. There are hints of me in this character in just his energy and excitement. This play is focused on the growth of Darius, and when you see growth from a character that’s what the audience looks forward to.”

All the actors in the play perfectly executed the characters they were meant to portray. The main female lead, Sheronna Osbourne who plays Stacey provided a solid and nurturing balance to the main character of Michael while also holding on to her own secrets. The story itself provided in A Little Black Lie is dramatic, funny and heartbreaking but it’s what keeps the audience interested and leaving you wanting more.

The whole experience of viewing A Little Black Lie really brings together the idea of community support, especially for actors and playwrights in Toronto. Troy Crossfield definitely shows his caring and passionate nature that allows his production to feel homely and familiar. Love, passion, and dedication comes first with the team working behind the Crossfield House Production. Director, Douglas Prout, who also directed A Little White Lie was one of many to be delighted to be on the creative journey for this twisted sequel. For those that missed out on A Little Black Lie, stay tuned to what Crossfield House Productions has in store next, where actors, writers, and big dreamers all come together.