Review by anonymous
June 14, 2026 certified reviewerWhat I liked
This was the first performance of the show and one of the standout elements in this project was the character of the artist patient struggling with selective mutism name Apollo. What could have easily been a melodramatic or overly sentimental trope was handled with incredible nuance. Interactions involving him felt grounded a refreshing breath of ‘real’ in a narrative that sometimes teeters on the edge of stylized
The blocking in this production was exceptionally well-crafted. I was particularly impressed by how the staging allowed for intimate moments and clear character dynamics, even during moments of silence. Seeing the characters’ relationships develop and react to one another, rather than just delivering lines, added a rich layer of subtext that made the scenes feel authentic and compelling.
What I didn't like
While this production boasts a compelling premise, the final execution feels uneven, held back by pacing issues and technical inconsistencies that diminish its overall impact.The most immediate issue lies in the production’s opening, where the audience is left to watch actors on the floor for an excessively long time. This static prelude adds little to the narrative, serving more as a test of endurance than an atmospheric build, and could easily be tightened to draw us in faster.Similarly, the script itself feels in need of a sharper edit. There is a compelling story fighting to get out, but it is currently stretched thin. A more condensed, punchy script would significantly improve the flow and prevent the narrative from sagging. .Visually, the production struggles with lighting inconsistencies. While moody lighting is often effective, there were several instances where critical moments and character expressions were completely lost in darkness. While I appreciate a nuanced, dark stage, it should never come at the expense of seeing the actors’ faces during crucial dramatic beats.With a tighter script and better-managed lighting, this play has the potential to be a gripping piece of theater. In its current state, however, it requires a firmer hand in direction and editing.
My overall impression
The 2.5-hour runtime felt excessive. The show started at 8:00 PM and didn’t conclude until 10:45 PM, making it significantly longer than advertised. Furthermore, there was an unannounced, roughly 10-minute intermission that caught most of the audience off guard. Also, the production suffers from severe pacing issues, making the over two-hour running time feel twice as long.
Stepping into the venue, one was immediately struck by an unsettling sense of isolation; the front-of-house operations felt entirely abandoned, leaving patrons stranded without a single staff member to clarify the bafflingly prolonged intermission.The lack of basic amenities only exacerbated the discomfort, as the venue failed to provide even drinking water—making it an absolute necessity for future audiences to bring their own refreshments.To compound the evening’s frustrations, the delicate illusion of the play was thoroughly shattered by the persistent cries of an infant in the audience, an uninterrupted distraction that visibly rattled the cast and derailed the production’s emotional momentum.
While I was able to follow the general idea of what was going on, this production ultimately suffers from a repetitive script that constantly retreads the same ground. The dialogue felt inflated and, unfortunately, a bit boring due to how often it was repeated.The actors themselves were decent, with a couple of standouts in the cast, but they were severely limited by the material they were given to work with. Nowhere was the writing/directing struggle more apparent than in a scene where the doctors asked a patient to breathe; it felt incredibly over-choreographed and unnatural, pulling me right out of the moment.With a tighter script and less repetition, this could have been much stronger.
