Scan barcode
pedanther's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Misogyny, Torture, War, and Xenophobia
snazel's review
5.0
This is, sincerely, one of the best and funniest plays I've ever seen, and I got to be in it as well.
pickett22's review
5.0
I love it. Such a wonderful little play!!
Second read:
It's not really fair to say this was a second read, because I was just IN this play (as Jennet) so I've been through it dozens of times this summer, memorizing huge sections of it and driving it into my physical being for almost four months. After looking at it in such intense detail for so long I feel fairly confident in saying this is one of my favourite plays of all times.
Even on the night of our last performance when the whole thing was as familiar to me as this keyboard under my fingers, I still cracked up. It's so clever and funny and bombastic that my carpool was still having interesting conversations about individual lines and moments, even as we drove to opening night. It's so human that I saw myself in every character at some point, from Thomas' desolation to Margret's cold hearted statement that "sin is so inconvenient." And in amongst all the jokes and the criticism and the lechery is an ever present sweetness that prevents the whole thing from being nihilistic.
What can we do to make life worth living? How can we save each other? Where can we go to find hope and happiness? And in the end, no, love doesn't change the world, but maybe we can draw it up over our eyes for a while and maybe we're allowed to take up space in the world, even on our darkest nights, even those of us who don't conform to the mean, even those who were come across instead of born, and even those who just wanted to be happy.
Second read:
It's not really fair to say this was a second read, because I was just IN this play (as Jennet) so I've been through it dozens of times this summer, memorizing huge sections of it and driving it into my physical being for almost four months. After looking at it in such intense detail for so long I feel fairly confident in saying this is one of my favourite plays of all times.
Even on the night of our last performance when the whole thing was as familiar to me as this keyboard under my fingers, I still cracked up. It's so clever and funny and bombastic that my carpool was still having interesting conversations about individual lines and moments, even as we drove to opening night. It's so human that I saw myself in every character at some point, from Thomas' desolation to Margret's cold hearted statement that "sin is so inconvenient." And in amongst all the jokes and the criticism and the lechery is an ever present sweetness that prevents the whole thing from being nihilistic.
What can we do to make life worth living? How can we save each other? Where can we go to find hope and happiness? And in the end, no, love doesn't change the world, but maybe we can draw it up over our eyes for a while and maybe we're allowed to take up space in the world, even on our darkest nights, even those of us who don't conform to the mean, even those who were come across instead of born, and even those who just wanted to be happy.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful play, set in the middle ages, though it was written post World War II. A lovely story of two rather sad people who manage to save each other.
This was referenced in Tam Lin, which is what brought my attention to it, but I truly enjoyed it for its own sake upon reading it.
This was referenced in Tam Lin, which is what brought my attention to it, but I truly enjoyed it for its own sake upon reading it.
autumnalreads94's review against another edition
5.0
This was suggested to me by my acting teacher for a monologue and I am so glad she lent it to me. Not only did I get a fantastic monologue out of it, but I loved the whole play. Nicholas had me cracking up with his "murder" of his brother. Thomas, who has decided he MUST be hanged and persistently petitions the judge throughout the play to hang him, is wonderful. Very odd, very poetic, very set on dying, but oh so wonderful. Jennet, who is accused of being a witch, comes in laughing at the absurdness of it all, so of course I was absolutely smitten.
I fairly nearly hugged this playbook at the end (it was falling apart, so I didn't).
I fairly nearly hugged this playbook at the end (it was falling apart, so I didn't).
briarfairchild's review
5.0
Beautiful language and very funny - I loved reading this from the first page and now my ambition is to see it performed!
natalielorelei's review
5.0
Practically perfect*. God, I love this play.
*I do wish the two throwaway racist lines weren't in there because WHY. I mean, the answer is White Writer in the 1940's, but still.
*I do wish the two throwaway racist lines weren't in there because WHY. I mean, the answer is White Writer in the 1940's, but still.
tanaise's review
5.0
Still my favorite play ever read, ever. I like to just roll around in the words and let them wash over me.
More...