If Water Were Present, It Would Be Called Drowning

I wish I could get my money back, I'd even pay more to get my time back, there are too many good shows to see. In the show I saw, 3 people walked out, and I should have followed along with them. The first 15 minutes though are good, a good story about a housewife going through hell, and I'm with her. She's likeable, sad, and funny. Then she starts stripping on stage (why do writers feel the need to physically strip their characters on stage -- and I like gratuitous nudity more than anyone), and she goes into lala crazy land and starts ranting and raving about god-knows-what. Totally loses the story, the focus, and the audience. Sad. Great actress, though. The only reason I stayed was out of respect for her great skills. Would have been bet... full review

hands down one of the best shows that Fringe had to offer this year! Betsy Moore is amazing.... full review

I am sorry that someone anonymously wrote a critical review of this show....To me that illegitamizes their comments. Let me tell you, no one walked out of the show that I saw! The audience was mesmerized by the poignant and funny story and the terrific acting. There was a standing ovation at the end. The synopsis of Sinner's play, does not do it full justice. This is truly an important work, deep, dark and meaningful. It is about the all too common human experience of setting off down the path of life, with all the best intentions at heart, doing one's best, trying hard, and yet finding oneself lost, disillusioned, and trapped in an endless series of meaningless repetitions. It is about waking up one day and realizing your life hasn't cra... full review

John Sinner's one women show "If Water Were Present, It Would be Called Drowning" is summed up in one word.....AMAZING! Filled with humor and drama, the show leaves you wanting more. The performance by Betsy Moore just blows your mind and she truly is a beautiful artist who really knows the depth of John Sinner's writing. Together they are each other's muses were nothing but the best shines. Congratulations to the both of you for your wonderful achievements. ... full review

A woman at the end of her rope, drawn with intricately woven dialog and performed beautifully. The flow of words are simultaneous comic and tragic and mesmerizing to see delivered by the actress Betsy Moore. This is the sort of experimental theater I come to the Fringe to see. ... full review

This show wasn't my style, but I was so taken by the performance and richly integrated technical elements that I was on board for the duration. I don't precisely balk at Beckettian follies filtered through postfeminist ennui, especially as well-executed as this. I think perhaps the fact that this was not only a midnight show but the seventh I'd seen today had some effect on my judgement. Nonetheless, it is challenging, in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. You can expect a legitimate, artistic piece, quite a bit above and beyond the standards of what I would consider par for the Fringe aesthetic. I feel compelled to stage the work in a venue that more aptly frames the extensive scrutiny so generously afforded the piece. This ... full review

In If Water Were Present, It Would Be Called Drowning, Betsy Moore walks barefoot in a geometric pattern on the OCD-friendly decorated stage with children’s toys and chairs perfectly lining the sides. She carries a pink parasol that she’d love to stick in the nearest comparably-sized fruity cocktail, while a narrator reads off a litany of shopping list items, thoughts, and every social rule that has been hammered into her brain since birth. Her face caked in white powder and doll makeup, she’s a woman passed the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her trenchcoat reveals an apron that continues to a striptease down to her lingerie, as she shares with the audience her inability to cope with motherhood and wifedom in her tract suburb. She shares ... full review

The best show at The Hollywood Fringe 2012 in my opinion. So clever, so dark and so extremely funny. Beckett, meets Ibsen, meets John Sinner and Betsy Moore. It was so delightful to see a show in which the content is also expressed in the form. The writing is beautiful and the production pitch perfect. It's uplifting to see theatre which is theatrical, only belongs in the theatre. And how writer / director and actress can create amazing work when they have collaborated for some time. A shared vision makes for extraordinary theatre. ... full review

I can't help but find the negative review of June 23rd by "Anonymous" somewhat specious as I attended that day's show and can assure you that no one walked out of the theatre nor was there any gratuitous nudity as implied. Critical reviews left anonymously are the equivalent of a hit and run and I question the validity of such cowardly actions by envious haters. (and no, I did not work on nor was I involved in the production of this play in any way.) That said, this play was a fast paced and smartly written piece backed by a clever voice-over and video installation which gave this work the feel of true multimedia. Betsy Moore delivered a masterly performance as Lolly, (not an easy task given the abundance of John Sinner's intricate and co... full review