What I liked
There is just so much to love with this story. The correlation between the inhumane treatment of people being detained by immigration and the inhumane treatment of animals in shelters was brilliant. Living beings who deserve respect being treated as disposable. The play makes it impossible to leave feeling comfortable with inaction.
Every single performance was so solid. Every actor was really invested in their character’s angle of the story. The dog performances were spectacular, especially the physicality.
I thought the cage was super clever as well. I like the minimal set as it kept my focus on the story.
What I didn't like
I was sitting in the center of the house and one of the light fixtures was really loud and unfortunately I missed some of the dialogue. This is a super easy fix with just a bit more projection from the cast. In the next iteration of this piece, music in transitions would be a great addition. None of this took me out of the story, and the play as a whole was incredibly powerful!
My overall impression
Pit of Hope is an important story with an all star ensemble and a lot of heart! WARNING: after leaving this show, you WILL want to go right to the animal shelter and adopt a minimum of 10 rescue dogs.
