What I liked
Much of the Book of this show I was quite impressed with, finding myself still humming a few of the melodies hours after the show. The lighting design was visually stunning and lent itself as the perfect tool to transform the space into the world being built – really allowing different intention and atmosphere to be utilized through various colors and degrees of light. Most actors made strong choices that developed their characters in manners that felt earnest and genuine. Specifically, Grace Pompei has a magnetic stage presence that perfectly lends itself to the mystical creature she is portraying, making bold character choices that immerse the audience effortlessly into the world of the play. Her portrayal of Fetch is truly magic itself.
What I didn't like
I struggled with some of the direction overall: there were times in terms of blocking where one actor was placed right in front of another actor, even sometimes when one of them was singing, making it not possible to see or even hear the other actor being blocked. Equally, with the show not having Mics for the singers, there were a handful of times actors were singing faced away from every part of the audience and it created an issue in being able to hear them clearly over the music. The Wisps, while having many individual and playful personalities, at times felt like they were being directed not enough as an ensemble with too much emphasis on the individual.
My overall impression
If Alice in Wonderland and A Midsummer Night’s Dream somehow stumbled into a Celtic, Fantastical Forest… it would be this show. Where Within does a marvelous job of building an elaborate yet easy to understand world and story, ready for viewers to jump in and embark for the adventure.
