Review by anonymous
August 24, 2026What I liked
The strongest part for me was the way Angela’s relationship with her father made the larger themes feel personal. The play asks difficult questions about who controls history and how stories can be used to remember, justify, or hide painful events. I also appreciated the moments of humor, which gave the heavier scenes some breathing room.
What I didn't like
Some of the transitions between the present-day story and historical material felt a little abrupt. A few sections were also quite dense, and I occasionally felt the central emotional story got buried under the ideas being explored. Tightening those moments could make the overall experience even more powerful.
My overall impression
The Great Dying stayed with me after the performance. I liked how it connected the personal experience of COVID-19 with the history of the 1837 smallpox epidemic without making the story feel like a history lesson. The shifts between Basketball Bros family drama, humor, and historical scenes gave the play a lot of emotional range.
