My overall impression
Even more than my disappointment in the peformances of Virginia City or Flying Standby, I was devastated by last night’s performance. The concept seemed so interesting that I even brought my wife, who had a headache, to see it, as she was as interested in it as I was. Unfortunately, we left after the performance with an even worse headache.
First off, the “screeching” of The Raven was annoying and painful. I could have handled it once, but not every single appearance.
Second, I felt like I was on a bad acid trip, just trying to keep up with the premise of a shaman turned to a raven who captured the souls of Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf before losing the book to Poe, who wanted to take over all the media and support organization while stealing the souls of gifted writers.
The quality of acting was all over the board, and varied as the show progressed. I was impressed with the performances of the actresses portraying Kat Von D (the narrator) and Virginia Woolf (probably because she made me horny, especially the line about going to Pinks for a foot-long hot dog that she would sit on and then eat).
The show has a promising premise, but needs some major tightening up and some new dialogue. Not one line got a laugh. In fact, the only laugh of the night came when William Shakespeare walked across the stage, dragging a blow-up doll.
This show is perfect for stoners, or for those who just want the experience without actually imbiding.
