What I liked
The entire ensemble does a great job, no one actor seems out of place or gets lost in the shuffle. Michael Hettler and Paige Fockler are tremendous, stealing the show at times, I really enjoyed their relationship displayed on stage is both heartbreaking and relatable manner.
What I didn't like
The pacing of the show was a little strange for me particularly between the first and second act, I understand the limitation of the Fringe Festival, but I believe the act II “reveal” could have held a lot more weight to it with a proper 10 minute intermission in between giving the effect some time to breath. That being said I understand the limitation of working within the confines of Fringe.
My overall impression
Always open is a pretty unique show, something the likes of I can almost guarantee you will probably not see again at this years Hollywood Fringe Festival.
The show is set at 11:45 pm on a Sunday in 1994 at a twenty-four-hour dinner; you know the one I am talking about. Every town in America has one, the place you and your high school friends spent hours upon hours chatting about everything and nothing, when you had nowhere to be, and you didn’t pay more than a couple of bucks for soda and appetizers and didn’t tip the staff well. Yeah, I am talking about that dinner.
