What I liked
Wow. I wasn’t prepared for the huge leaps of imagination that happen in virtually every scene of this wildly funny play. Jessica Jill Turner’s story and characters are unlike any I’ve seen, pitched at a perfect blend of humor and heart. Not only is the language fascinating, but its story is creative and unpredictable. This play goes nowhere near where you think it will, pivoting from hysterical comedy to profound sorrow almost effortlessly.
The show moves from an immobile, obese novelist to an alien ice skater, from a sociopathic parent (with a unique relationship to filing cabinets) to a boy who likes to poke and a stripper who can’t strip, and yet none of this ever feels forced or devolves into kitsch. Instead of chaos, the writer, director and company inform everything with care and poignancy.
It’s about memory and imagination, and how they can give us hope – but also let us down – during our times of loneliness and pain. That’s what makes this much more than just a funny play (which it definitely is). But once Charlie Moose makes his move, I was left wondering if I should have been laughing so much.
What I didn't like
There were some issues hearing dialogue over some of the music cues (but this could also be a preview thing).
My overall impression
One of the most challenging, hysterical, original plays I can remember from a playwright with a fearless imagination.
