What I liked
David Robinette has a very good grip on what he is trying to achieve as both writer and director. Again, I cannot praise the writing enough.
What I didn't like
While Man is Wolf relies on the nuances in performance to get the audience to the unsettling emotional place it needs to be, at times the actors do not seem to achieve the level of emotional complexity that the material calls for.
Where the play falls a bit short is in the performance by the younger Tavernier. Although at times he hits the mark he seems to miss several oppportunites to deliver a more layered performance that is necessary for the plays overall success.
My overall impression
Man is Wolf is an extraordinarily crafted play. I highly recommend that theater fans go and check it out while they can.
Like a Jim Harrison novel or a Sam Shepard play, the writing is truly exceptional and invites us to watch as the roles of predator and prey reveal themselves in an unpredictable fashion as we fall deeper into the dark side of human nature.
Not only does the play explore lust and reveal its own characters expectations, it also succeeds in toying with the audiences societal alpha male perceptions and stereotypes with an unpredictable twist that is truly worth the wait.
