Cleaner Than Blood

My overall impression

Jen Silverman’s new play “Cleaner Than Blood” is a psychological maze through the minds of three young people who have all been tormented by a single figure. The fragile, desperate figures bare their teeth to one another, the fissures of their own resolve beginning to spread. Strong performances from the cast all-around: Kjai Block, with his honest and delicate portrayal of a man wronged so many years ago shines in the moments when he seems most at ease with what he must do. Austin Ireland’s “Paul” is menacing and yet somehow magnetic; you’re never quite sure whether to slap him or to share a drink with him. Maggie Blake’s “Marr” is wonderful; every line is a weapon, and every flash of the whites of her eyes a warning – like a snake, she’s may have lost her venom but not her rattle, and she uses her lines like fangs. Alex Scott’s fantastic direction and interpretation of the Silverman’s script help to pilot the story forward, and with finesse. See this show if you’re into a subtle drama with punctuated moments of pure theatre!