What I liked
While there is so much to commend Peter for (from his use of the stage, his lighting design, his writing, and so on), it is his physical/psychological/emotional presence as an actor that had me riveted for the whole run time of the play. Peter’s use of his body (particularly his face) and his tremendous patience in allowing his characters (himself and his elder therapist) to unfurl creates an intimacy with the audience that makes you forget yourself. He achieves a unique depiction of self-aware aging, something that feels like an odd mix of John Malkovich’s (who Peter somewhat resembles) bemused eye contact and furious command of language and David Byrne’s calm oscillations between philosophical musings and escalated (though never unhinged) rantings. If it isn’t clear, I think Peter Massey is a terrific performer.
What I didn't like
I found very little to criticize in “Out of the Blue”; the ending was extremely elegant, but maybe just the slightest additional hint that the passion for writing Peter mentions in the play has manifested as the play we are seeing (to ultimately ground the audience in the specific consequences of the experiences Peter performs throughout).
My overall impression
A fully-realized, deeply-felt, passionately-conveyed rumination on working, aging, death, and the anxieties of choice, Peter Massey’s autobiographical account of his relationship with his astrological therapist has a timeless quality that deserves to be enjoyed by everyone.
