EMERGE

What I liked

Nothing, unfortunately.

What I didn't like

Help me understand WHY I am watching this.

WHY am I supposed to care? Loads of people have had shitty parents who didn’t value or respect who they were as people. And loads more have had parents or other relatives who abused them sexually, and I am very sorry for Paris Moon that both misfortunes landed on her, but what was I supposed to take away from this?

I have seen a lot of theatre in my life and I find this trend toward confessional, preachy expositions to the audience — as opposed to performative storytelling — to be incredibly tiresome.

If a playwright’s objective is to draw public attention to a critical social or political issue, then the job is to develop a story and characters that SHOW us the point or points you are trying to make, with well-developed, relatable characters.

EMERGE tries to do this at the outset, showing the central character practicing her dance routines, in the face of withering, dismissive treatment from is a disembodied voice meant to be the father. But too quickly, the show descends essentially into a series of excruciating, hand-wringing monologues, eventually getting to the point the author most seems to want to share — that she was sexually violated by her conservative Christian father.

Okay…. so NOW what??? Where are we going with this? What is the point? Why are we supposed to be invested?

The show closed with a rambling monologue about the author’s support system and personal transformation, and a truly excruciating ‘singing’ performance that was just deeply embarrassing.

I could not discern a clear motive behind this performance other than as an attention-seeking exercise for the author. Ugh.

My overall impression

100% cringe fest