What I liked
Before even getting into the actual show (and I will…OH I will) this show has had some of the best pre-show and marketing I’ve seen at Fringe. The cardboard cutout of Dr. Graves. The (handmade!) pre-show word search. (This was also a great way to encourage the audience to talk to the people seated next to them and next to them in line…a nice way to break the ice and combat grief.)
And as for the show itself…just incredible! Leary had us in the palm of her hand. I’ve never been part of a live studio audience but I feel like I have. She so deftly navigated the happy, the sad, the…both? There were objectively funny moments where I wanted to cry. Objectively sad moments where I wanted to snicker. I felt like I was on this journey with Dr. Graves, learning the hard way (as she does) that there is no easy way to make difficult feelings go away. The only way out is through.
What I didn't like
I wish it were longer! I know that sounds like a cop-out, but I could have watched at least another half hour of this show. It left me wanting more and without a sense of closure…which I’m also realizing could have been an intentional thing due to the subject matter and where Dr. Graves leaves things. Lack of closure is the price you pay if you run from the work of grieving and don’t feel your feelings honestly. This is rapidly turning into a positive and I’m OK with that. I suppose I also wish the opening slideshow were shorter, but only because I wanted to see more of Leary’s performance. Again, this might have been intentional to induce anticipation, and if so, it worked!
My overall impression
Grief Box is a funny, poignant, sad (in a good way!), beautiful theatrical experience that not only makes you think about how you grieve and how you participate in society as a consumer, but also how powerful and creative one person can be as they carry the show and guide the experience.
