What I liked
A beautiful and important therapeutic story with a mission- I was lucky enough to catch a performance with representatives from NAMI in attendance, and the kind mental health advocates’ presence helped to drive home the mission of the piece. Always a good start when the “why” is so apparent.
What I didn't like
My main concern is that the stakes are never high enough. I never believed the character believed there was someone outside their door, and their focus was scattered and performative without being stylized. We only saw hints of what this character could have been. The most compelling moment was the discovery of the Taco Bell bag, which was, truly, a phenomenal bit of acting.
Some bizarre lighting choices/cues were distracting, and the mix of practical and invisible props took me out of the moment. Why not have “real” tic tacs or smarties in the Rx bottles to dry swallow? The sound of the rattle could clue us in the audience the amount of pills taken. And why dry swallow when there’s an underused bottle of liquor to chase it with?
My overall impression
Some snappy writing and mental health hot topics help drive this piece.
