Dark, deliberate and emotionally charged, the interaction between father, Ev, and daughter, Katie/Catherine, has the audience feeling the uncomfortable tensions in the air. Anyone who has ever parental relationship struggles will immediately empathize with Katie/Catherine’s need to hold even five minutes of her father’s wandering attention.

A brilliant risk, that could have went awkwardly wrong, is the direct communication between the young Katie and the present Catherine. The synchronicity between the two actors is seamless from beginning to end.

How exhilarating it is to see RH Thomson in the role of stoic and unapologetic Ev. The character places his practice before the birth of his first child and a possible life threatening illness of an alcoholic wife. Relying on a combination of hidden guilt and convenient memories, RH Thomson is able to keep Ev just on the edge of being exposed and strategically draws him back in like a misers purse strings, waiting till it’s the right moment to finally reveal him.

In her professional theatre debut, Hannah Gross shines as the young Katie, but it’s the intense interaction between cast members Derek Boyes as Oscar and Jane Spidell as Eloise that stir the most emotion. It’s an obvious love that must be kept at arms length due to their unfortunate choices and the characters lean hard on each other when necessary.

Director Diana Leblanc has an apt gift for drawing out raw emotions in her actors which works surprisingly well with Sharon Pollack’s written words in this biographical tale epitomizing a dysfunctional family.

Since its first production in 1984, Doc has definite staying power. From its dark shadowy opening, till the silhouetted ending, playgoers walk away wondering what dark secrets lay in their own family history.