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namuunaa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
extremely witty!! loved it! the conversations felt so real and tangible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Ableism
wyrmrar's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ngl, like another review mentioned, I'm still kinda figuring out how I feel about this play. I like the concept, I like the overall structure, I think it's playful and unique playwriting with its not-quite-a-plot plot, I really liked Avery (even if he's a film snob lol), and for the sake of studying dialogue (since I read this for class), it's effective. But at the same time, geez... I found the usage of the r-word and the "maybe a molestation" scene distracting. By its very nature, this is not at all a play that's gonna spell out its message and intentions for you. It prefers to meander. It's much more interested in painting an average workplace environment and letting you figure out each character's relationship with each other than it is a metaphor for any one specific thing. But since so much of the play is characters talking, and after the molestation scene, Avery and Rose literally have what most would call a "heart to heart", I really feel like there was ample opportunity to better address the subject of ableism and sexual assault without it ruining your immersion. Not every victim wants retribution, to make a big deal out of it (so long as this is genuinely what they feel and not just a reaction to threat of retaliation), or to cut off their relationship with the assailant, so I'm not going to say that's inherently wrong, but likewise we live in a world where in most American plays, this archetypal forgiving victim is the only victim audiences get to know, so it sets a very uncomfortable precedent. Like, idk, I was expecting more payoff, I guess...? And it's such a shame cause, maybe I'm just missing something important, but neither of these plot points felt necessary to the overall play. I can recognize that their purposes were probably to demonstrate Sam's complicated relationship with his family and both Rose and Avery's complicated relationship with sexuality, and neither the r-word nor the molestation are framed as "good"— like they're clearly mistakes or ignorance —but, idk, I'd still consider them framed as "normal", and I just feel like there was probably another way to do it. Lastly, short references to racism are also made throughout the play in a way that affects but doesn't overshadow Avery, which I interpreted as thoughtfully handled compared to the other two points, but I'd take my word with a grain of salt and look into the thoughts of Black reviewers, first. The play is already 3 hours long, so... tl;dr I would be very mindful recommending this play, if at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Sexual assault
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