My overall impression
I attended the Saturday matinee of “His Minute Hand,” and since I was show hopping, I had no idea what it was about before I entered the theater. The world of the play is vague. It’s set in an unnamed Eastern European country during an unnamed war, though there is mention of Prague. It’s either contemporary or set in the future, and the society’s laws are both unexplained and nonsensical. In this place and time, the playwright has managed to conjure up an incredibly dramatic scenario that highlights the damaged lives and relationships caused by one man’s fear and inability to breach protocol. It’s non-linear journey takes us back and forth between the happy memories of two young couples in love to the suffering they endure in a society where women are ordered to remain locked inside for their own safety.
In this particular performance, I felt like it was hard to get into at first. It begins immediately at the ultimate point of conflict, one friend ordered to kill another, allowing him time only to see his new born son come into the world. The tension is palpable as a women screams off stage, labor pains, while the two men play cards, both aware of what is destined to occur between them. As the play moves into flashbacks, the actors do a great job illustrating how great life used to be before the war. I thought they were very genuine in the good times section of the play, which really made the end hit hard when it all crumbled down.
I thought the most moving moment was the anti-hero’s closing monologue to the Governing officials. It was very well performed, and simply written, which is, of course, the best kind of writing.
While I didn’t think every scene was compelling, overall, this was a great show. It definitely picks up in the middle and goes out very strong. If you attend, stay with it because it will hit hard when the time is right, and you will be rewarded with a thought provoking, genuinely moving experience.
