What I liked
What I liked most is how thoughtfully constructed the script was to provide an authentic, surprising and intimate experience, that when coupled with the exceptional acting skills of the Nicole Ohara and Benjamin J Young brought to life a moving, impactful and thought provoking piece that left a lasting impression.
What I didn't like
I was so enchanted and immersed in this production that I did not notice anything that I felt needed changing. All of the decisions made by the key players were thoughtful and ultimately achieved the goal of transporting the audience not only to a time and place, but to a mindset.
My overall impression
I had the absolute pleasure of being an audience member for closing night of “Hold That Thought While I scream.” My only regret is that seeing the closing night performance means I can’t tell everyone I know and love that they must immediately RUN to see it!
This show was truly unique and compelling, from the intriguing and layered story to the exceptional acting by both of the leads. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat the entire time just waiting for the story to unfold, and it surprised and delighted me at every turn.
I loved the unpredictability of it. I was drawn in by how the expressive outbursts were often over smaller grievances or more surface level irritations, and yet the vulnerable and intimate revelations about the issues at the core, were sometimes delivered in quiet moments that brought the audience back in time, and back to reality, simultaneously.
The audience at this show was taken for quite a ride, and it was delightful to hear the audible reactions as though they were physically experiencing the sudden drops and loops that the script provided, and the actors so expertly delivered.
It would be easy in a show like this, where the characters are experiencing some extreme mental health challenges to simply label them as unhinged, however, these actors brought immense vulnerability and a palpable humanity to them which caused us all to pause and recognize bits of our own struggles and relate to them.
Nicole Ohara, despite portraying a woman teetering a bit on the edge of sanity, grappling with transitions from reality into the dark corners of her own mind, somehow displayed a warmth that was captivating. This worked in such a way that instead of standing in judgement of her, you saw her true effort and struggle to get things right, and you came to love her and root for her. You felt sympathy for the way she sometimes viewed herself so harshly, despite everything that she had done to prove to herself, and others that she could achieve exactly what she had accomplished.
The actor Benjamin J Young brought so much nuance to each of the characters he portrayed. It was sometimes hard to believe that it was the same actor playing each part because his physicality and emotional state were so distinct each time he stepped into a different role.
Perhaps what I found most thrilling is when the characters would transition from reality into their thoughts and then back. These transitions were a masterclass in acting. Both of the brilliant actors navigated these moments in such a way that you could see their brains working to process and react to the moment and emotion they were suddenly thrust into. At times, they both seemed bewildered and lost while trying desperately to find their footing and grasp on reality. You could feel these internal battles just sitting in the room watching them. You could see it in the intricacies of their expressions, and in the way that those struggles would spill out their bodies.
The show felt raw and so authentic, which made it impactful on a deeper and more personal level. The chemistry between the two leads, and the varied relationships that they were able to portray as the characters changed, were incredibly impressive and believable. The interactions you watched those characters have illuminated the part of human nature that makes us yearn to take care of others, even at the cost of taking care of ourselves. It highlighted some of the dangers of that, and yet it made clear that it’s almost impossible to help giving in to this instinct, even when we may be ill equipped to do so.
The actors led us on a journey traversing an emotional terrain and weaving in and out of madness. When the show was ending, and the character of Lady seems to have expelled so many of the things that were haunting and torturing her, you felt her relief, her surrender, and it made you yearn for your own, or at least the pursuit of it.
I hope that this show has a robust future. It was a gift to witness it, and I truly hope that I, and many others, have the opportunity to do so again at some point. The whole production was special in the way that it moved you to think and feel beyond where our minds usually want to go, and in my opinion, that is where the magic lies.
