Reviews

Mad Forest: A Play from Romania by Caryl Churchill

hp_reading's review against another edition

4.0

This play was different from most Caryl Churchill plays I've read because the action does not take place in England. I thought this departure did not detract from Churchill's unique writing style and story telling ability. Using her characteristic scene structure and overlapping dialogue, she was able to create a snapshot of the Romanian Revolution through the eyes of two families and individual stories. The cyclical structure of the play (part 1 is a wedding before the revolution, part 2 is a series of stories the first night of the revolution in December 1989, and part 3 is another wedding post-revolution) provides interesting commentary on the nature of governments and the patter of revolution. The families reflect the generations, ideals, and lifestyles of those these revolutions impact and asks the audience through what is and isn't said to consider the consequences and benefits.

rats02's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

dkrane's review against another edition

4.0

The middle section's a triumph. Interesting pair with Voices from Chernobyl.

alexandra165's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

oscxrwilde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

5.0

calloel's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

titan3lla's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the play! I have so many questions about everything... Like if Ianos's character was Hungarian, why his name was not written in Hungarian? Or what was happening really about the shootings? And so on, can't even write them down there's so many...

I got my hands on Mad Forest, after I choose to write the essay about Top Girls for my Modern Drama class. I really enjoyed Top Girls as well, and during my research I read about Churchill's other plays... Next in the line I'm gonna read is Cloud Nine. The funny thing is I never enjoyed reading plays, they belong to the stage, but since I can't see them, I am too interested...

mrthehan's review against another edition

Definitely a play that significantly benefits from theatrical exploration and staging (typical Caryl). Language is used both to state points directly and dance around others. The triptych structure allows for an interesting linguistic game in which the limitations of free thought under a totalitarian regime are contrasted with suddenly being unmuzzled upon "liberation" but not knowing really what to do with it. Seemingly formal in structure with some elements of stylistic and structural experimentation - kinda expected more considering we are dealing with Caryl Churchill here, but maybe that's 21st century Churchill I'm thinking of. This piece was inspired very much directly by and explicitly references the events of the Romanian Revolution, but for something that was written based on a research trip directly after the revolution, it is both beholden to and transcends the specifics of the event - maybe more so the latter.

bohowallflower's review

2.0

I forced myself through the entire play. I'm not sure I understood much of it, but I was speed-reading it for class.