What I liked
I loved the deep dive into the complicated nature of ‘true crime’ and appreciated getting to see it from every angle. The dialogue is just tremendous, and it really made me care about the characters, even the ones who get less to do and might not be as fully fleshed out as others. The young actors who played “Eli” and “Axl” seemed born for the roles, and I can’t fault anything with their performances. The actor who played the Reverend was just the right amount of comic relief. The actor who played “Benji”, the proverbial ‘new guy’ in town, cast just the right amount of charm and suspicion. And, finally, the true highlight of the show, for me, came in the form of the actor playing the sheriff, whom I believe also wrote and directed the piece. His energy was terrific, his delivery was the perfect combination of beaten down and jovial, and I found myself sitting up whenever he was on stage. I truly felt like I got to know these characters in 90-minutes.(apologies for not knowing actor names but I accidentally left my program)
What I didn't like
A couple of the performers were difficult to hear, a combination of projection issues and the air conditioning unit which is a major issue for shows at The Broadwater, in general, so I have a difficult time holding that against the show itself. I don’t experience those issues in any other theatre in Los Angeles.
My overall impression
I knew nothing about this show and attended on a whim when the show I planned on seeing sold out. I am so glad to have made the pivot. “The Resurrectionists” didn’t feel like ‘Fringe theatre’ – it just felt like ‘theatre’. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a hidden gem tucked away in Hollywood. The script is well-constructed and never feels disconnected. The performers bring so much energy and charm to their characters. The stripped down nature of the piece and the transitions were appropriately Fringe but also never felt as if they were holding back because of those constraints. I have been attending Fringe since 2023 and this is one of the finest productions I’ve seen. So much so it inspired me to write a review which I rarely do. Will be attending again with friends.
