u/justmeisje

I want to start by saying I actually liked this play. I’ve never seen these types of characters on stage, and it’s a very “of the moment” show—it references things that have happened just this year or last year. At its core, the play is really about loneliness. Going in, I didn’t expect to sympathize with any of these characters, but we’ve all felt alone at some point. I also liked that it ended on a note of hope (kind of), which wasn't quite what I expected from a show called Degenerates.

The acting was also really strong. It has got to be exhausting for the two leads to go through that emotionally every day, and Christopher Dylan White as Target was incredible: brave and often subtle.

That said, I think a play is the wrong medium for this script.

As someone who loves theatre, sees a lot of it, and likes when it takes risks, I still kept thinking this would work better as a movie. The entire show, I found myself imagining how it could be cut and directed as a film, especially since so much of it takes place online.

As writers, we’re told to show, not tell. There was plenty of showing, but also quite a bit of telling. The spoken stage directions stood out to me, and by the third act, I found them quite grating. Those directions would probably feel more natural on film where they could be played out entirely visually.

The other issue is the length. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, it’s too long, and the single intermission is in an awkward spot. The third act felt like a slog (despite being the shortest act), especially starting with about 10 minutes of listening to a recorded conversation.

Also, if you aren't familiar with incel “culture” and vocabulary, the first act is going to be tough. This is another area where film would help with world-building. For example, Miller living with his parents doesn't need to be a reveal through dialogue. Also, if we could actually see Target’s apartment and how isolated they are (stacks of Amazon boxes, copious delivery bags, etc) it would be a bit more effective than just being told they never leave their apartment.

I think the one thing this sub can agree on regarding The Lost Boys is that the set is a spectacle and an engineering marvel (when it’s functioning).

I saw it again this weekend and I was wondering what and how much they’d have to pare down the set for a touring company. Luckily they don’t have a turn table but they have three stories, an elevator, always changing stage heights and a Mary Poppins’ carpetbag-sized fly loft. Not to mention the flying.

I’m not sure it’d have the same feel without the mosh pit, the bridge scene, etc. How much do you think they’ll have to compromise?

Just saw Girl, Interrupted at the Public Theatre tonight… Oof.

I feel like any adaptation should be bringing something new to a story, but I left feeling like I barely knew these characters. The only reason I even had a grasp on them was because my brain was pulling background knowledge from the movie; if I completely divorced the two in my head, there was barely anything there.

Someone on this sub previously asked why they weren’t advertising this show as a musical, and now I think it was probably a strategic choice so no one got their hopes up.Was every single song the same tune? There were maybe three fleeting moments where the actors belted a line or two and I got excited, but it always immediately fizzled out like it must’ve been a mistake. It made me realize how crucial percussion is to making a song work. For reference, they only had a piano, guitar, and violin that I think were mostly played by onstage actors. The lyrics didn’t help either— they were all incredibly literal and stuck to the exact same, simple rhyme scheme.

Additionally, the set was uninspiring. I’ve never been in that specific theatre at the Public before, so I don’t know what they added, but I was so confused by the one set piece they did have. Those two half circles that would emerge from that elevated cage... what the hell was that about? Also, for a show that talks about paintings so much, do more interesting things with projections. The fact that they only display it at the very beginning and end was so underwhelming.

Finally, I will never be one to complain about a one-act show, but this dragged so heavily. I honestly think the only reason they didn’t include an intermission is because there weren’t enough moments of rising tension to actually merit one.

The whole thing was just so boring, heavy, and lethargic. You may be saying, "Oh, that’s the point, they want you to feel like you’re in the hospital with them." But hell, even during my most depressive episodes, I wasn’t that bored.

I might get crap for this but I just got out of the Receptionist, and like other people on the sub I am asking “WTF did I just watch?”. However, I don’t think this was a good play.

Spoilers abound but it closes tomorrow anyway.

I’m just talking about the writing here so let’s get the rest out of the way. I actually loved the set design and was impressed with the level of realism. The actors were great. Katie Finneran is exceptional and the understudy for Lorraine, Abigail Garcia, was wonderful.

Where to start? Beverly is the “main character” as in she’s on stage the most but I don’t think this play has a protagonist. She never needs to make a decision until the last 30 seconds of the play when there are finally stakes presented to her.

Also, I didn’t think it was possible for a play that clocks in at 80 minutes to have pacing issues but I’ve been proven wrong. Nothing happens until Raymond shows up at like 40 - 50 minutes in. That’s the first inkling we get that there’s something nefarious happening in the office.

I’m not saying there isn’t room to ever play with dramatic structure but it was to be done well, and make the payoff worth it. But when normal structure should look like a hill, this looked like a speed bump 15 miles down a flat road.

At the end of the show we are no closer to understanding what “brand” of evil this company does and I think it’s a cop out. It’s trying to be deep when the playwright could’ve actually said something with A viewpoint. ANY VIEWPOINT. Instead, we’re just leaving it as torture is bad. How brave of him!

Just because your entire audience leaves the theatre confused doesn’t make you profound.

Anyway. On a day where I made it a point to see two shows that are closing tomorrow, Beaches was way better. BEACHES. And I was really looking forward to this show.

If The Laramie Project, Mexodus,Dead Outlaw, and Serial defied the laws of science and figured out how to produce a baby, it would be Kenrex. A true crime story told by a sole* man playing backed by the sounds of original country music.

*this is billed as a one-man show, but technically there is another guy (John Patrick Elliot—the composer) on stage performing all of the music while Holden handles the voices.

Jack Holden co-wrote and stars in this re-telling of a true crime where he plays all of the characters. The best way I can describe it is if a morning zoo shock jock was given full access to a Foley studio. It’s an impressive act, especially when you consider this is an Englishman playing 30+ small-town Missourians. However, some of the characters were hard to tell apart. All of his women sound the same, and some of the men also sound like his women. He tries to change his mannerisms for each character, but I wish he’d throw in a hat, a scarf, or a monocle or something to help us differentiate some of them.

The most impactful scenes, in my opinion, were the ones that utilized two bright lamps to mimic headlights of a car. This setup signaled the most dramatic scenes in the show and they felt the most cohesive. Holden was usually just switching between two characters in these scenes and one was always Kenrex which is definitely his most distinct portrayal.

However, the highlight for me was Kenrex’s lawyer Richard McFadden. In particular, a montage where he is winning court case after court case accompanied by a song reminiscent of “Canyonero” from The Simpsons. It had a strong “We both reached for the gun” vibe.

At the end of the day, it’s mostly a dramatic rehashing of the Wikipedia article of the crime. And that’s not to diminish it—it’s well done and Jack Holden deserves all the kudos for sustaining two hours on his own, but I would’ve liked to see more into the minds of some of these characters. Why was Ken such a piece of shit? Why was the town so passive for so long? And why, Trina? WHY?

Note: It is a LOUD show. Bring your Loop earplugs. Also, my lottery ticket from TodayTix was in the front row, which I think is a little too confronting for this show, and you will get absolutely bombarded by clouds of fake fog.

I posted this earlier to r/heathersmusical but thought y’all might find it interesting.

After bidding farewell to Casey, Peyton, and Kate yesterday (and Kuhoo a few weeks ago) and welcoming John, Isabella, Zan, and Lisa Ann tonight, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the outgoing and incoming casts. I know no one asked for this and I need to keep in mind this was their first performance. I think this is mostly just going to betray how often I’ve seen this show.

Kuhoo Verma v. Isabella Esler

No one is more expressive than queen Kuhoo. She could play Veronica with zero lines and we’d still understand her. Kuhoo’s voice is superb, and most importantly, no one can beat her “phlegm globber”. It was always so disgusting yet impressive.

Isabella plays Veronica super goofy and dorky which works. Especially love her take on “spaghetti and meatballs. With lots of oregano”. On a stage full of Lydia Deetzes, she’s the Lydia-est—which I guess works considering the source material, but all I could hear and see was Lydia in “I say no” and “Dead Girl Walking (reprise)”. She’s the first Veronica I’ve seen who could actually play a high schooler but I think we’ve done away with that pretense. It’s her first show but her enunciation needs some work. Her words tended to go a bit Ariana, if you know what I mean.

Casey Likes v John Cardoza

Casey’s JD was incredibly emotive, exaggerated, and full of camp—which works for Heathers. His goofiness made him so endearing which made the turn in act 2, culminating with the complete psychopathic rage in “Meant to be Yours”, all the creepier.

John plays JD with a lot more subtlety and romance. For the most part it works, especially with his final bars of “our love is god” and he essentially starts at a whisper. However, his rage in “meant to be yours” didn’t feel quite as earned due to his relative calm the rest of the show.

Both voices are great, but John’s has much more of a twang to it.

Peyton List v. Zan Berube

Peyton’s Chandler was a mean girl with a silly edge. I miss some of her choices like growling “I’m talking to my friend!” Her voice wasn’t the best but her choices more than made up for it.

Zan’s Chandler seems more dangerous and her voice is undoubtedly stronger. Pulled off a flawless candy store riff the first time out. Though I was surprised how nerdy she played “ghost Chandler”.

Kate Rockwell v. Lisa Ann Walter

Kate’s Ms. Fleming was always so unhinged and screechy. She was convincing as a crazy teacher obsessed with suicide. And what a voice.

Lisa Ann can play a teacher (duh) and grounds Ms. Fleming a bit. She doesn’t have a voice but she made it work by over-exaggerating and bringing out a tiny tambourine for “Shine a Light”. I loved the ridiculous bob wig they give her for Mrs Sawyer, and she came up with the best Steve improv I’ve ever seen. It went on and on but was so great.

Special shout out to James Caleb Grice and Devin Lewis. I’ve seen Caleb play Ram so often that I’ve forgotten what his real role is. And he did great tonight as Kurt. Devin is just so goddamn versatile. I’ve now seen his JD and his Kurt and he’s truly a jack of all trades.

After bidding farewell to Casey, Peyton, and Kate yesterday (and Kuhoo a few weeks ago) and welcoming John, Isabella, Zan, and Lisa Ann tonight, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the outgoing and incoming casts. I know no one asked for this and I need to keep in mind this was their first performance. I think this is mostly just going to betray how often I’ve seen this show.

Kuhoo Verma v. Isabella Esler

No one is more expressive than queen Kuhoo. She could play Veronica with zero lines and we’d still understand her. Kuhoo’s voice is superb, and most importantly, no one can beat her “phlegm globber”. It was always so disgusting yet impressive.

Isabella plays Veronica super goofy and dorky which works. Especially love her take on “spaghetti and meatballs. With lots of oregano”. On a stage full of Lydia Deetzes, she’s the Lydia-est—which I guess works considering the source material, but all I could hear and see was Lydia in “I say no” and “Dead Girl Walking (reprise)”. She’s the first Veronica I’ve seen who could actually play a high schooler but I think we’ve done away with that pretense. It’s her first show but her enunciation needs some work. Her words tended to go a bit Ariana, if you know what I mean.

Casey Likes v John Cardoza

Casey’s JD was incredibly emotive, exaggerated, and full of camp—which works for Heathers. His goofiness made him so endearing which made the turn in act 2, culminating with the complete psychopathic rage in “Meant to be Yours”, all the creepier.

John plays JD with a lot more subtlety and romance. For the most part it works, especially with his final bars of “our love is god” and he essentially starts at a whisper. However, his rage in “meant to be yours” didn’t feel quite as earned due to his relative calm the rest of the show.

Both voices are great, but John’s has much more of a twang to it.

Peyton List v. Zan Berube

Peyton’s Chandler was a mean girl with a silly edge. I miss some of her choices like growling “I’m talking to my friend!” Her voice wasn’t the best but her choices more than made up for it.

Zan’s Chandler seems more dangerous and her voice is undoubtedly stronger. Pulled off a flawless candy store riff the first time out. Though I was surprised how nerdy she played “ghost Chandler”.

Kate Rockwell v. Lisa Ann Walter

Kate’s Ms. Fleming was always so unhinged and screechy. She was convincing as a crazy teacher obsessed with suicide. And what a voice.

Lisa Ann can play a teacher (duh) and grounds Ms. Fleming a bit. She doesn’t have a voice but she made it work by over-exaggerating and bringing out a tiny tambourine for “Shine a Light”. I loved the ridiculous bob wig they give her for Mrs Sawyer, and she came up with the best Steve improv I’ve ever seen. It went on and on but was so great.

Special shout out to James Caleb Grice and Devin Lewis. I’ve seen Caleb play Ram so often that I’ve forgotten what his real role is. And he did great tonight as Kurt. Devin is just so goddamn versatile. I’ve now seen his JD and his Kurt and he’s truly a jack of all trades.