What I liked
Anton Wilhelm (Xander) and Caroline Stevens (Myrtle) are high points. They were easy to watch. I was sitting in the front row and could scarcely hear the two lead actors at times. The leads seemed boxed in to “who they are” from start to finish. No range. Their tone and timing often seemed off…we never see any connection between them, even in the scene where he says he can tell her anything. It felt like walking into a concert where one song was played and that song had no bridge or hook. I would have liked to like her, to root for her to champion herself, but honestly, I just wanted her gone and had more sympathy for her husband- which is pretty jacked up.
What I didn't like
Cecelia was so consistently miserable, broken, depressed and sick it was impossible to believe that anyone would marry her. We needed to see SOMETHING inviting, good and attractive about her- we got nothing. Bi-polar could be added to her medical mix- that way we’d at least see her happy, up and functional and have insight into why Theo was attracted to her in the first place.
I also would have like to see another side of Theo other than “asshole”. When he brings the coffee to bed in the opening, we can already tell we won’t like him- that he’s not the “good guy”. But it would have been nice to see some warm charm from him- something that would let us believe she had a reason to want to be with him.
No clue what the green light was- the red was clear- although confusing at times…for example, did she actually make it outside with her baby? It was also confusing that Xander who they mentioned was 24 yet sent to his room when it wasn’t clear he was high school for that scene until after the fact…I thought he was home from college. Theo said he wanted to see his son, she freaked out, but yet laid out THREE place settings. The contradiction was blaring.
I also found it a challenge to enjoy this play because there was much I wanted to “fix” as the play went along. (Like someone who wants to straighten a crooked picture that’s hanging on the wall.) It’s impossible for me to imagine someone seeing this play and then enthusiastically recommending it to a friend…and the intense subject matter isn’t the problem.
My overall impression
I’m an actor, writer, director, producer, mental health advocate, and am also a survivor of domestic abuse. I am 54 years old and a mother of eight 4 birth/ 4 adopted. Every aspect of this storyline is in my wheelhouse. And yet, I’m having a very challenging time coming up with words of encouragement in my feedback while maintaining a spirit of honesty and integrity.
The description created for this play is poorly written. I’m curious if someone other than the play’s author wrote it. It does not reflect the play I saw.
I’m curious if the author believed this could be a marketable play? That people would pay to see it? The dark subject matter combined with not one moment of reprieve is just too much “heavy”. Nothing about it was enjoyable. There was not one moment of relief. It’s torturously intense from the moment it begins. We watch child abuse, spousal abusive, the fallout on the next generation. It’s dark. There is no hope. There is no redemption. It’s heavy and miserable.
I was thankful I had a good day going into the play because to say it was emotionally exhausting would be an understatement of epic proportions.
I believe the framework is there for something solid, but in my opinion
