What I liked
I loved the visual storytelling and the careful consideration of all the characters involved. I loved the courage and efficiency in tackling such an important subject. And I loved that this play focused on what’s important in these matters and that’s the people, not just politics or statistics, but real life people.
What I didn't like
There’s really no complaints. If anything, this play definitely sets up the potential to have a riveting act two that speaks further into the status of the justice system and it would be great to one day see a part two to this story because the play does such an excellent job in this current act.
My overall impression
Villain is the type of show that transcends entertainment. From the very first sounds in the play, you no longer feel like you’re just watching a show but rather partaking in a real experience. Society has a tendency to sensationalize issues to the point that we become desensitized to serious and tragic epidemics. Villain successfully strips away all the distractions and truly gets to the heart of America’s all too familiar problem and often forgotten sentiment; which is that human beings, not just racial statistics, are involved in these tragic police shootings. The play’s courage to tackle such a polarizing issue is admirable within itself, but then to witness how thoughtfully the story is executed is even more inspiring.
Going beyond just the clips and debate we usually are exposed to with these occurrences, this play instead takes us inside the homes and the minds of everyone who’s directly involved in an injustice like this. The play is vulnerable, honest, emotional, and heartbreakingly realistic. To know that there are actual families who had nights and days like these characters in the aftermath of a shooting is eye-opening, as it helps to provide insight into the reality of the families on each end.
As sensitive as this subject can be in this country, this play does a wonderful job of not being divisive or making anyone the superficial “bad guy”, while also not giving anyone an easy pass or being dismissive of the flaws in the justice system. Every character has to wrestle with the consequences in their own way and everyone has a motive that, whether you agree with them or not, this play helps you to at least understand them. The visuals alone in this play are so symbolic and moving and indicative of the ingenious vision of the director, Bernadette Speakes and writers Michael James Kelly and Kailena Mai. Each actor makes his or her character feel lived in and multi-dimensional and their responses encourage us as the audience to reflect on our own responses to these tragedies.
Villain doesn’t aim to depress or condemn, but rather to truthfully address and aid the country’s conversation and really leave the audience thinking and asking; What is the real villain? Because perhaps it’s not a person, perhaps it’s fear.