What I liked
Having attended college around 2008 when this play is set, I was instantly familiar with the banter between the two characters. It really sets the stage and provides the reasoning for how the play progresses.
The actors really brought the intensity required to make the play work.
I saw a complaint about the video game segment, about how it felt like “dead air”, but having played quite a bit of Halo 2 in college myself, I thought it was acted and scripted well and I really enjoyed that part.
What I didn't like
Stevenson delivers emotionally, but sometimes says his lines a little too quickly and they’re hard to understand.
Conceptually i really liked the play and felt that it was a story worth telling, but some of the writing was a little clunky. While the dialogue felt authentic overall, there was the occasional phrase or line that seemed out of place. Also the allegorical explanation for the actions taking place during the climax just sort of muddied things. There’s reasoning enough behind the plot without any of it needing to be symbolic.
My overall impression
A play with an important message and a lot visceral emotion. It’s not perfect, but is worth a watch. This is the kind of thing Fringe is for: a show with something to say even if it’s rough around the edges.
