What I liked
What is so compelling about the play is how nuanced it is. Kelly’s writing captures the tenderness and vulnerability of love’s uncertainty without crossing the line into cloying sentimentality. Her characters are real. We can relate to them and empathize with the decisions they’ll have to make in order to grow.
Director Stacy Ann Raposa takes four actors, one set, and a play that alternates between monologues and 2-person scenes, and spins it into gold. It helps to have actors who have done their homework and who understand the honesty required to make a piece like this work. Each of them is a complete portrait.
What I didn't like
My overall impression
This play was a surprise. It isn’t a fluff piece and it isn’t jaded or off-the-cuff. War Stories shows you the life you give up when you don’t acknowledge how you really feel and, in some cases, it shows you the way back again. What better place than LA to get an opportunity for one more take?
It’s beautiful work done with conscious attention to detail. Fringe fellows, see what they have done with their limited resources and let it inspire you. The current running time is an hour but, happily, there are plans to expand it further into two acts.
