What I liked
Sam’s show is packed full of ideas but the way she bounces between personal and global, terrestrial and celestial, elicits the feeling of someone grasping for answers to make sense of the things that have happened to her. It’s what grief feels like and it’s a testament to the power of theatre.
What I didn't like
A few small tech slip-ups but such is the joy of live theatre. Honestly, a beautiful show that would only be improved by having bigger audience.
My overall impression
Samantha Bowling’s crafting and performance of this show is nothing short of masterful. She has taken the immense feeling of grief, all the individual threads of how losing someone affects your self, spirit, and soul, and woven them into an ornate and beautiful tapestry. For a lesser performer, this show would heave and groan, but Samantha brings you along with her. She is disarming without undercutting her emotions, she is engaging without evoking desperation, and she is sharp without coming across as preachy. The full effect of Sam’s performance is that she has taken her own traumas and misfortunes and through introspection and self-care has not just crafted a stunning work of art, but forged herself as an artist who is capable of telling the story.
