What I liked
I truly commend the acting and the staging of this show. The relationships were effortless. The arc of the story didn’t feel rushed. The protagonist carried you through the entire story and you never got tired of him. That’s a difficult thing to achieve. The antagonist was so captivating, you’re almost hoping for a different ending. The story is written so that you’re able to understand where he’s coming from, but ultimately cannot root for him. Damon was astutely portrayed by Moreno.
What I didn't like
I think costuming could have been taken more into consideration. I do think some characters could be more fleshed out, too. Nick’s relationship with Shelly feels like it could be further explored because they both experienced Damon’s true nature and there’s a shared bond there.
My overall impression
It was a poignant story about the woes of love. On the quest for true love, Nick meets someone who gradually uproots his entire life. This play showed the true scale of dealing with someone who experiences narcissistic disorder and while the story made me laugh when I needed it most, it also made me walk away with more compassion for anyone in similar situations. Getting out isn’t easy and a strong support system really does change everything. The writing was funny, realistic and I never once looked down at my phone to check the time. That’s a recipe for a great time in my book.
Something else of note and appreciation was the stage design. I love when shows can play with levels and use lighting to help tell the story. The lighting was used in such a way that elevated the eventual suspense of the narrative and had me on the edge of my seat. That paired with the acting made it feel like a cinematic experience happening live.
I enjoyed the insight into Damon’s background. The scenes with his mother were both funny and eye-opening. Tina D’Marco was a treat on stage. I understand why there weren’t more scenes with her, but man, I wish she would have been on the stage longer. I loved Nick’s friendship with Giselle, they were clearly close and the actors played that well. Her refusing to grovel when Nick needed her to made her a more realistic character, too. There are only so many times someone can be turned aside. She grounded the story and Brianna Bell did that very well. The introduction of Shelly was also comical and she brought a certain unexpected comic relief. The actor who portrayed her, Jaiden Blessing, was apt in this. Even Booker, played by Anuradha Senevi, who only appeared for a short time only added to the story. His presence was smooth and affable. The cast was in tune with each other and that made the story fly.
The relationship between Nick and Damon was easy to root for at the beginning. The audience was immediately on Nick’s side. His charisma made the pace of the story glide and you could trust him to hold your hand from beginning to end. Kudos to Michael Doukakis. When he meets Damon, we’re undoubtedly charmed. To be able to navigate the nuances of a character like Damon is not an easy feat. Jose Eduardo Moreno made making an audience like you and then turn on you without expecting to look easy. Every time Damon apologized, I almost wanted to forgive him.
I wish there had been a longer run, so more people could experience this story.
