What I liked
I loved the writing. I am a big fan of things that are slightly outside the norm. The dialogue was otherworldly and almost magical. There was darkness and confusion to it, but as someone who has been on the inside of experiences like this, there was so much truth. I recognized that reality quite well. I am curious to know what research went into this piece and if the writer has experienced mental differences like schizophrenia, at all. If not, you could’ve fooled me! It was so surreal it was real!
And the acting was superb. David Haverty was menacing, yet somehow loveable in his almost childlike anger and frustration. Ian Kaye was like a mad hatter, wild genius and mania swirling about onstage. Nikki Muller was chilling as the doctor, adding so much to the tension that builds between the characters with her ability to stay relaxed amidst the swelling chaos. And I couldn’t take my eyes off Jason Rosario, whose quiet, understated performance was subtle but filled with emotion, and possibly the hardest role to execute.
What I didn't like
I wouldn’t say that there is anything I didn’t like about the show, except that I could stand for it to be longer. I think there is an opportunity for this show to be 90 minutes. If the events of the show were to repeat themselves three times, with slight changes in the dialogue and fight sequences that ultimately build to have a huge effect on the final outcome of the scene, so that we experience the same story, with a different ending every time, I think it could really add to this. Because the “big reveal” at the end, (no spoilers), is actually pretty easy to spot early on. So I wouldn’t depend on that as “the twist.” But even knowing ahead of time what that would be did not spoil the show for me. This story could be expanded to show how these types of things don’t actually “end.” They just evolve with us. And in that you could employ deeper “twists” as the characters develop the same story with different iterations. I think that would be a great place to take this project. I’d see it. “45mg. 3x daily”
My overall impression
There was not a moment that I was not totally riveted by what was happening onstage. I wanted to be able to watch all four actor’s faces at the same time because there was so much depth in the performances. I was mesmerized by the physical aspect as well and how it was stretched and experimented with throughout the show.
