What I liked
I need to start by praising the performances of Loryn Jackson and Artin Karimi. They anchored The Trick at opposite ends of the play’s moral spectrum, and did strong work. Both plays can dip into nihilism, and we need to see both of those extremes in order to understand our own relationship with oblivion. The action moments in The Trick were really well-executed. I want to note that while I preferred The Trick, my mom preferred The Pearl. A small sample size, but probably a good indicator that there’s a little something for everyone here.
What I didn't like
The lights and music in The Pearl were very distracting. In general, I had difficulty hearing and focusing on the dialogue in that one. The writing for both plays fell a little flat for me. Both interesting premises, but neither explored particularly deeply. Also, the scene change was extremely long. I know they don’t need a second table already set for The Pearl, but it wouldn’t hurt.
My overall impression
Two one-acts from one playwright invite intriguing juxtaposition!
