What I liked
I LOVED the subtle beauty in the writing. The line specifically describing it was the day he learned the difference of how blood and water felt and the poetry in taking something so dark/traumatic and making it accessible and lead audiences to feel empathetic was a true skill. The moment where Jahan translates for the town and you see the non-direct translation to accomadate the people, as a child of an immigrant who often translates this was so specific and evaluated that scene. Additionally, the direction was absolutely stellar, and perfectly calculated. Gregg delivered a performance that sends chills still thinking about it, and felt like every movement and emotion was so strong/authentic and took us on an emotional journey so few performers can do. Delynn gives the audience such a strong, grounded performance that gave the written character a voice only Delynn can bring to life. Ocampo perfectly encapsulated the character almost as though he himself has lived that experience; which takes a true artist to do. Having veterans in my family myself, Hartman captures such a specific type of vet that is often overlooked/ hard to empathize with and makes us as the audience feel nothing but sadness and emptiness especially at the end of the show. Jahan nails so perfectly the translator role and with every line there was not a single hiccup proving to us Jahan is a seasoned professional who enhances any performance.
What I didn't like
It was great! Just that it has to be in such a short time (aka Fringe) this could be amazing with a more permanent home to add more sound and other elements.
My overall impression
From the writing to direction to performances, this show was unforgettable. It felt like such a raw glimpse into the human experience for something no one should ever have to face. To say there was any singular standout performance would be impossible. The entire cast carried the story in such a vulnerable, and powerful way. The actors were so perfectly cast and delivered performances only a true professional and human with such empathy and understanding of a story could. I was often so engulfed with the story and delivery I would forget I was in a theatre.
