BEFORE A FALL

Just saw Lily Mercer's wonderful "Before A Fall," where sobs could be heard in the audience by the last scene. The play deals with highly charged material, which is sure to trigger deep emotional responses. Ultimately uplifting, the piece explores the brutal landscape of the Serenity Prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." Brilliantly played by Allie Costa, young Darla forces the adults surrounding her to struggle for that wisdom. The large cast, including the incredible Jamie Mcrae playing six-year-old Lala, delivered many strong performances. Mercer is definitely a writer/director to watch.... full review

I LOVED this show! It was intriguing and compelling and shocking and emotional. I cannot say enough great things about it - nicely staged, superbly acted, wonderfully written. I was captivated by the actors, uncomfortable by the situations presented, hopeful for justice, fearful no justice would be served, and most of all, impressed by all I witnessed. Congrats to Lily and the cast. My hats off to you. I sincerely hope that this piece will have an extended run so that I may bring more people to see drama done right. ... full review

Thoroughly enjoyed Before a Fall. Well Written, Directed and a strong cast! A Must See in the Fringe Festival!... full review

My husband and two friends saw the closing performance and all of us were blown away by this deeply moving play and wonderful performances! This play should be seen by everyone everywhere, as its story is alas, a timeless tale of the abuse of power and the horrible, irreversible things that can happen when people are afraid to speak up and out against wrong-doing. Lily Mercer is an extremely gifted writer and director - we all hope that this play 'has wings' and will 'continue to fly'! ... full review

I really enjoyed this piece. The play is primarily set in a courtroom with several flashbacks that puts the audience at specific events as the story pans out. The clever storytelling keeps you guessing at what has actually transpired until it climactically explodes in a moment of terror. The acting was superb- characters were multi layered, horrible, wonderful, and terrific. A true gothic tale of flawed characters in a flawed world. My only critique of this piece was the excessive use of blackouts as we were taken back and forth between events along the plays timeline. Personally, I prefer transitions that are less cut and dry and that flow from one moment into the next with subtle lighting changes, character movement, or shifts ... full review

The is a robust production of a new play that hangs its beautiful but painful memories upon the structure of a courtroom drama. The gifted performers give focused performances that reflect the horror of Mercer's story, a well-woven tapestry of the traumas that occur when families cover up tragedy instead of acting upon it or communicating. It's a warning to distrust blind faith and rely instead on what we see. And what we see is lovely - the chemistry (bonds both positive and negative) between the characters is tangible and very real. The lighting and scenic design are by far the best I've seen from any Fringe production. Elegant and moving, I'll be thinking about this show long after Fringe ends. ... full review

Very well directed, well acted piece. As for the writing, this is the kind of topic that could easily have been pat, unsurprising and painful to sit through, however, not only are the characters specific and not generic, but moreover it is structured in such a way as to create just enough tension and mystery to heighten interest while still giving room for the questions of moral responsibility that the play is most interested in.... full review

A beautifully woven mystery, great characters and wonderful performances. This is the best new work I have seen in some time. Playwright Lily Mercer is definitely a talent to watch out for!... full review

This review won't do any good, as I saw this production on closing night. But it was perfect. Brilliant script, wonderful performances, all around. Great direction and a chilling frustrating story that made me want to get out of my seat and intervene in the events that were going off the rails and nobody could do anything but watch it happen. Beautifully compelling theater.... full review