What I liked
This play is fun, thoughtful, and nerve-racking. Playwright Beck deftly handles a plot device involving time travel to explore today’s themes that are splitting this country (and its families) apart. But, when we jump back in time, we also see that these problems aren’t contemporary. The United States has been wrestling with its identity and its political, moral, and social flaws and open-wounds for generations. When we jump back in time, it makes us wonder if these wounds will ever heal. Or do they just get passed on, only to be perpetuated and transformed into new ideations that haunt the next generation?
I really enjoyed how Beck handled the central plot device of the time-space continuum to tackle her themes. When the reveal occurs, the danger is that the playwright is now entering well-trodden territory. There is nothing novel about this sci-fi trope. But what made this play so refreshing was that, yes, it was nothing new. The 1971 family was very familiar with this space-time quirk. Their home acts as a time travel portal, and, no big deal. They’ve experienced this numerous times before. It made me laugh out loud because it defied audience expectation. We expect to watch the two sets of families process, digest, and figure out what this insane new reality means. Instead, you have one family have an oh boy, here we go again, attitude and it was a laugher. And it was a clever trick having a patient who happens to be a Caltech theoretical physicist.
The casting is strong and the performances were all solid. Each actor and actress inhabits their space well. The standout for me was Dan Pousson, he has great stage presence and he hit some very strong notes. Johnny Lovo brings a nice energy to his roles. The entire cast had a good connection to each other and they admirably journey through their conflicts.
The play shows strong writing. It dives into the conflicts we face no matter what time period we’re from. How do we connect with each other, and what keeps us separated? What drives our morals and our choices? Most importantly, can we change?
The play tackles the subject of gun violence in a way that makes us confront what we all want to turn our eyes from, the horror of school shootings. But Beck holds our hand and she gets us through it, and instead of bullets, we’re given the poetry of hope and love.
What I didn't like
I would remove the plot explanation from the program. It isn’t needed. The play is clearly-written, plotted, and executed. The audience doesn’t need an explanation.
My overall impression
A smart and clever show about two American families from different generations mixing it up across space and time.
