A new one-man show focused on a Canadian telecom giant is hitting the stage at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Rogers v. Rogers will run from Feb. 18 to March 14 and tells the story of Edward Rogers, the CEO of Rogers Communications, trying to acquire Shaw Communications and the legal battle with Canada’s Commissioner of Communication trying to stop the acquisition. “It’s very entertaining. The writing is very fun, very witty, very smart,” said Tom Rooney, the man who will be playing all 16 characters in the show. The play is based on the book written by Alexandra Posadzki, Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire, and it was adapted for the stage by Michael Healey. “It covers conversations and topics that we are all concerned with these days, which is our cell phone bills rising and rising and prices on all products rising, and the lack of competition in this country. That sounds a bit dry, but it’s all done with a great deal of humour. And I spend 90 minutes talking and running around the stage trying to tell these stories,” said Rooney. Doing a one-man show is a bit of a marathon, Rooney said, but he has so much fun being able to tell the story by himself. “I love having the relationship between just me and the audience and I think we have a pretty good time.” Rogers v. Rogers will be on the John Hirsh Mainstage until March 14. Showtimes and ticket information can be found on the Royal MTC’s website.
