Since this is it a medium I'm not well versed in I thought the first half was really dry. There wasn't supposed to be a lot of action, but this made it very difficult to pay attention to. The prisoner, James, in the first scene would at times address the audience in his lengthy rants, which made it less believable. I will, however, praise the two actors for reciting two entire hours of intense lines. The character Heidi I thought was really well done throughout the play. I liked how in the first act she played second fiddle to James, and seemed like she was in control of the situation, and her life. Her demeanor in the first act made the second half click so well, as it made the story of the James character more dramatic in retrospect. The fact that he pushed this conservative Heidi off the edge made him seem so much more perverse. But, it didn't make sense to me that in the second act it's revealed that Heidi has been prescribed with Lithium the entire time. It made me question the entire first act. This detail didn't need to be included, it just muddled the plot.
I was really excited when the scenes started because the music was energetic and intriguing for a play. But, once the play started I felt there was a disconnect from the music to the play itself. They should have picked something more suiting. As for the set, I thought they did an excellent job executing the scenes. I liked the depth of the second act’s set when uncle went into the kitchen it made sense and flowed well.
I did enjoy the concept of the play about herd morality. I think it's true and intriguing that people hide within the confines of a 'herd' for safety. I find these concepts about history and religion interesting. I have read that in the medieval ages, the church tried to collect people to be part of their religion. That was part of the beginning of many religions, where people become a part of it without understanding all of it. I'm not over analytical about my own religion and am excepting of cultures, and I enjoy when people are different, and learning about different religions. This play attacked certain religions, which did not enthrall me to pay attention. I like when people speak positive of their own religion, but not about other religions in a negative context. As people, we need to focus on the positives of our differences and not the negatives. That’s just my own opinion, and I don’t know if I would like to know the playwright’s views on religion.
Overall, it was too wordy for someone not familiar with the religious context in the play, but the acting was flawless and inspiring.
