What I liked
Kristina Mueller is dynamic, an absolute powerhouse of an actor and direction by Tinks Lovelace was taut and grounded in spite of the absurdity of the fever dream we are witnessing. Bold lighting design in a thrust-seating space also contribute to the discomfort of the audience as the fractured mirror is held up for us all to see the ugly side of the human/animal spirit.
What I didn't like
I’m not sure how I feel about the writing – where I “get it” on the higher plane, the theme of our own part or responsibility for drawing certain things to us (trying not to give spoilers), it’s a bit heavy-handed in its accusations and may put off some audience members -especially those who feel they are fighting the hardest against current political atrocities.
I honestly think it would have been more interesting to tell a mother’s story about raising a child who she knows in her heart is “off” (sociopathic?) without even mentioning the piece-of-crap that is supposedly our “president” – that in and of itself is a compelling tale and the ending of this play felt a bit like a petulant “no better than they are/cheap SNL sketch for laughs”. Did I laugh? Yup. Did I feel dirty? Also yup. The good kind of dirty? Not so much.
But again, my issues were with the writing and not with the brave, bold commitment of Mueller, Lovelace and Schoenberg (PSM).
My overall impression
Kristina Mueller’s performance is breath-taking in a somewhat challenging (to witness and digest) script.
