My overall impression
Encapsulated Review (full review at Bitter Lemons): Making an encore appearance at the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival, Theatre Unleashed’s FRIENDS LIKE THESE attempts to provide an answer to the question “How do high school shootings happen?” With the play’s ending revealed at the start, writer Gregory Crafts can focus us, instead, on the events that lead to the final tragedy. The strength of FRIENDS LIKE THESE is Crafts’ ability to capture both the pace and awkwardness of high school. Nevertheless, while the central issues addressed by FRIENDS LIKE THESE remain disturbingly current, the play itself is beginning to show its age. Given present trends, it is an unsettling thought that Crafts will likely need to revise and update his play for years to come.
