My overall impression
I really, really enjoyed SUNNY AFTERNOON. There are some great scenes with sharp, natural dialogue. The lighting and sound design are pretty close to brilliant, and the way they use the space is phenomenal. It’s rare in Fringe to see a show that so completely embraces their space and it’s really nice to see.
The performances in this show are a real treat. With such a large cast, there wasn’t a single weak link. Everyone was on point. The stand outs here are Darrett Sanders (brilliant!), Dieterich Gray, and Brett Fleischer as a fantastic Lee Harvey Oswald.
So why, with all of this genuine praise, did I click “Liked It” instead of “Loved It”? I had some issues with the script. It went to many different places, and while non of it was bad, it didn’t totally congeal around a central point. Some moments dig into the psychology of Oswald, the local culture of Dallas at the time, the competition between different governmental bodies, and a take on the Oswald conspiracy. In the end, I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to leave with.
Honestly, Sanders and Fleischer were so good, their characters so well drawn, their dialogue so good, that I wanted to spend all of my time getting to know them. When we left them, I felt untethered.
Please go and see this show and decide for yourself though. Maybe I was having an off, though sunny, afternoon when I saw it. Regardless, I want to see this show in a year after some more workshops and editing, ‘cause it’s gonna be absolutely brilliant.
