Dying City

What I liked

I loved how Jon dealt with switching characters. The subtlety in his work had me believing he was the different person when he stepped onstage instantly without it feeling like it was a “character” at all. It was two real men with two different sets of problems, and he brought them both to life in uniquely subtle and beautiful ways.
Zoe brought a lovely flow to the play through her seamless transitions through time. Her character goes through so many dramatic highs and lows in the play, and I thought she moved through all the moments with raw, grounded, unapologetic honesty.
I thought the set was awesome. It added an abstract element to the play that supported and served all the moments where time is skewed. It also served as subtext for the raw space the actors were in, where we don’t know what secrets will stay in the dusty boxes and what will be taken out.

What I didn't like

Some of the blocking felt a bit repetitive. I understand that it was a small space and I felt that most of the movement was motivated. But it would have been interesting to see visually what other spaces the characters could occupy when something new happened in the conversation.

My overall impression

A moving piece of theatre that had me fully engaged and wanting more. The acting was so good, and true, and touching, that I felt I was peeking in on conversations I wasn’t supposed to hear. The way the story flipped back and forth in time, and how the actors tackled it so effortlessly and yet with so much care and attention, was thrilling to watch. Overall, a fantastic piece of theatre.