What I liked
Direction and performances were sublime. The setting, props, and costumes were researched and gathered with care.
What I didn't like
45 minutes is a lot for 7 characters to develop. You made great choices where you had to pick your moments, but please expand on these fascinating people when you write the full-length play of this.
My overall impression
This show brings a nuanced, researched approach to a well-known event with fresh perspective. The drama onstage is just as powerful as what we don’t see (we do not witness the assassination, President Lincoln, or Booth.) Uncomfortable yet poignant parallels run to today’s division as Union relief meshes with Confederate bitterness barely a few days after the Civil War’s end. The infamous gunshot is pretty early in the runtime, yet the writing, performances, and direction keep the tension fresh as if you’re worried another assassin will emerge from the shadows with a loaded pistol. Next year will mark the 160th anniversary of Lincoln’s death, and I for one hope by then we can see this one-act expand to two.
