My overall impression
Most of, if not all of the few problems I have with this piece lie almost solely with the writing. While the actual dialogue is good and well written for the most part, the majority of the story doesn’t happen in the now, i.e. between the two characters (action, conflict)… but rather seems to string on in one monologue after the other, all the while not really connecting the two characters together. It’s a structural thing. The script mulls through many interesting concepts and absurd scenarios (a goldfish that lives in a bong for example), which again shows the writer is creative, but without some engaging conflict between the two characters for the majority of the piece, I felt more like I was back in some Portland apartment, listening to a couple of stoners talk life, then sitting in on a world where the stakes were heightened.
That said, this totally takes a turn for the better in the end, and the story finally gives the characters a BIG reason to be in the same room. I literally felt the change. I felt it in the audience, and I felt it in the actors. Although it feels crammed, and kind of hits all at once, the ending is so absurdly strong that it does a good deal of making up for what could have been subtly implemented a lot sooner in the play, strictly for the sole purpose of keeping us engaged throughout.
Overall, a pretty strong directorial debut from Alex Scott. Both Luke and Tracy are talented actors, and they did a good job playing what was written truthfully. Again, my favorite moments with them were at the end, and it was here that their talents shone through. I would have liked to see a lot more of that on the page.
