Review by anonymous
June 08, 2026 certified reviewerWhat I liked
The cast, especially the leading couple, Arianna Williams and Ryan Jaske, show a level of artistic endurance and commitment while carrying various scenes that demand staying locked in and drawing the audience in.
Daniela Azuaje, Jocelyn Marie, Rocio Ibarra, and Carlie Meyers embrace the responsibilities of their roles and the parts they play in the story, making them distinct from one another and making you interested in seeing the dynamics each will have when facing Williams’ character.
What I didn't like
From a technical standpoint, the low music during transitions felt accidental, if not hesitant. With the variety of transitions and stage adjustments the play has, deliberate music at a clearer, more consistent volume would have aided us, the audience, to flow through the transitions more smoothly; the silences and sometimes barely perceptible music left me wondering if there was a technical issue, then I wondered if it was deliberate, and then I had to wonder why that would be the case.
With the right music cues, transitions don’t need to feel like there is a pause or lag on the stage, but rather the music can support the energy the actors have built on the stage, sustain it for the audience while the changes are happening, and help the play continue more efficiently.
The writing of the play was where, for me, the production faced its greatest challenge. The play has a compelling emotional core, but the dialogue often feels too dense and repetitive. I truly believe this play could be half the length and still cover all the strong points of the journey.
Much of the dialogue repeats itself, and at other times it feels like explanation rather than lived experience, leaving the actors sounding more like voices explaining the themes of the play rather than the humans they are, and how they are coping with or navigating the present moment.
In life, we rarely say what we mean, let alone break down all details multiple times, and on stage, which is where we bring a magnifying glass to that human condition, the human story should never be sacrificed for the sake of overexplaining the text. The audience is smart; we want to understand the story, but we also want space to wonder what else lies underneath.
I wanted to truly connect to each character and their plea, but the way that they all explained themselves in such verbose ways had me losing the momentum of their statements before they were even done with them.
The vulnerability behind the writing is clear and commendable, but I think the script would benefit from more distance, compression, and trust in the audience to understand what is happening emotionally without every idea needing to be fully explained.
Directing-wise, while it is hard to know what happens during a rehearsal process, my impression of the directorial choices felt intentional with set, character placement in space, and the vision of the stage, but I would have liked seeing more well-rounded journeys with some of the characters. Archetypal characters can become a trap if they are not treated as three-dimensional with enough contradiction, specificity, and inner life to feel fully human.
My overall impression
The story carries a strong premise and has an eager, dynamic cast; unfortunately, the play’s dense text becomes the play’s biggest challenge against the momentum the story deserves. There is a powerful and impactful piece here, but it may emerge more clearly with a more concise and focused version of the script.
