Fathers at a Game

This being my first viewing of a fringe festival show, I was not sure what I was walking in to. I personally enjoy experimental and fantastical theatre and was very curious to see Trey Nichols' "Fathers At A Game." Now that I've seen it I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. The time, location, and circumstance of the play are initially a mystery as the only set dressing on the stage was a bench and two white canvases for which to put projections. As the play progresses, the audience gradually begins to understand who the characters are and the dire circumstances in which they are in-its a slow burn that I felt completely worked with the tension and uneasy feeling in the play. The performance was directed beautifully and the ... full review

A play about two fathers watching a game of football. At least that's how it starts. Then all hell brakes loose! After seeing it, all I can say is this: go see this chilling yet also at times surprisingly hilarious play. You won't regret it. ... full review

What a beautiful if intensely painful and sad play! I left the theatre thinking about how imaginative the playwright was to weave together both the facts of life and death and the power of illusion and imagination. I was very moved by all aspects of the play: the script, the set, the audio visuals, and the acting. The script was so artfully acted that I literally rode through multiple layers of time and reality without ever knowing I wasn't "really" there. Many hours later, back in real time, I remembered the end of the play and it hit me.... someone, maybe many someones have actually experienced some version of the tragedy enacted, a new wave of appreciation for life swept over me. This play is more than well worth seeing. ... full review

A very well-written, expertly acted, and finely directed play! Definitely one of the highlights of the Fringe. Go see it!... full review

I liked the show... a LOT. But that wasn't one of the choices. I enjoyed it more than a mere "like." Actors, Director Great Job!!! I knew right away that the characters weren't watching a football game and that the talking about the game was a coping mechanism to deal with war. I thought maybe they were in a psyche ward and I was disturbed a little with the arrival of a "real" GI into the space that had been occupied by the two guys--especially since they did nothing to help her. I think the writer has a little more work to do but that it could end up being a very compelling piece. I'd mess with time a little more and decide if it's a 25 min one act or a 90 min full length.... full review

The connection between the two main characters never faltered from beginning to end. Even though the scheme of things twist and turn throughout the performance, the connection of the characters is always a strong brother-like relationship. I have always found it very difficult for a performance to be carried purely by dialogue alone, but Fathers at a Game went beyond just a discussion between two people, and into the minds of different, yet very similar people. See this show at any cost!!! ... full review

well written and well acted, it holds your attention for most of the 40 minutes and is an interesting attempt to create its own reality. i'm not sure it totally succeeds, but it is so well done all around that i can forgive any imperfections in the playwright's structure of letting the audience in on some details. a qualified "see it".... full review

Not so fast... The play, seemingly about two dads at a football game, in a slow, steady, and ultimately satisfying (and surprising) progression, turns into much more than a Friday night romp in the bleachers -- it's a story with a social conscience peppered with just the right amount of humor to birth immediate provocation and lasting impact. Director Vesna Hocevar astutely crafts a story hinged upon the yin yang schematic, painting the psychology of both lead characters effectively thus creating a status quo wrapped in mystery only to slowly, almost without notice, have their respective psychologies swap places. The yin yang becomes yang yin, so to speak. With a tempered hand with no forced humor or high-handed sensationalism, the ... full review

This is a killer production of a smart, engaging, surprising play, well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. I'm going to see it again.... full review