How full is your glass? From Feb. 11 to 28, Prairie Theatre Exchange presents Lawrence & Holloman, a black comedy penned by Morris Panych (Girl in the Goldfish Bowl) that pits pessimism against optimism.

"It's about perspective, and how perspective on your life and the world can completely alter your mood," says Matthew Edison, who plays the perpetually positive Lawrence. "Holloman (Michael Spencer-Davis) is a very particular, sort of uptight kind of guy who's very pessimistic because life has treated him poorly, and here is this other guy, Lawrence, who seems to have everything and gets everything and he's such an idiot. I think part of the theory is the dumber, you are the easier it is to enjoy life. The more you think about things, the more you have to contend with how ugly the world can be."

Ignorance is bliss, as they say. Edison says Lawrence is a tough character to play because he just doesn't listen.

"I spend a lot of time not really listening to Holloman, which is very antithetical for an actor, where you're often relying on what you're getting from your scene partner, not just mood and emotion but also lines," the 34-year-old Toronto-based performer says. "Lawrence's dialogue is self-generated most of the time, which is kind of strange; it's almost like doing a monologue with a series of interjections because he has such selected hearing."

Another aspect that makes Lawrence a laborious role is his constant cheerfulness.

"It's so exhausting to be eternally optimistic all day, especially when you're working through things," Edison says. "The dialogue in the show is fantastic, but it's also really difficult and then there's scene changes you're trying to think of, so you're trying to be this optimistic guy but, at the same time, the actor is going, 'Well, for fuck's sake, what's that line? Where am I going? What do I do here?' It's kind of draining to be that person all day. I like to come home and be miserable."

Edison, who played Darcy in Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of Pride & Prejudice last year, is kidding about that last part (his girlfriend wouldn't allow it). He considers himself a generally upbeat, roll-with-the-punches kind of guy but, still, he feels an über-optimistic personality is always annoying.

"The truth is most of us know that life can be beautiful, but when you're raising your fist to the sky and cursing blue murder, the last thing you want is someone to remind you how wonderful it all is. You just want to throttle them."

LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN
Feb. 11 - 28, Prairie Theatre Exchange