Blood From a Stone. Question. SPOILER

[oncemorewithfeeling]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 11:24pm

anyone here see it?
Just got in from the 8pm performance.

Very mixed and disturbed.
Flawed play, but somehow liked it.

Question
How did the son break his arm at the end?
It was never explained, right?

[DonelBee]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 12:05am

Wasn't the broken arm a result of his encounter with his girlfriend's husband?

[oncemorewithfeeling]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 12:07am

I thought that may be it. I assumed, at least.
But I don't recall him saying he talked to the husband.

He left off in the story where the girl told him they were working things out, and he was sitting in the car.

Guess I snoozed through it.

What did you think of the show?

[DonelBee]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 12:28am

I don't think Matt ever actually stated why his arm was broken, but I felt he couldn't say that because his ego and self respect (?) were also "broken," And he also was not the type of person who could face many of his own realities.

Over all I enjoyed the play very much. I thought the performances and the direction were excellent. And for a "first-time-out" playwright, I was impressed and thought it made for a worthwhile theatrical experience.

[oncemorewithfeeling]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 12:36am

The direction and acting were quite wonderful.
It was all a bit over the top and melodramatic/unrealistic for me.

But it stuck with me and made me think.
I think it can be improved, considerably. (heard it was 4 hours at one point, wow!)

I left liking it..with reservations.

[DonelBee]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 1:02am

Definately melodramatic....but I'm afraid I can't say unrealistic. I'm sorry to say I know families who behave this way (or worse).

Even though the characters were over the top I felt the honesty of the performances made them believable; and for much of the play I was very uncomfortable...somewhat embarrassed to be a witness to such ugliness and unhappiness and desperation and lack of civility.

But nevertheless I found it a worthwhile theatrical experience wich made me evaluate life and relationships.

[oncemorewithfeeling]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 1:10am

At intermission, the ladies behind me (who hated it) were discussing which character they were most emphatic towards.

It's a toss up for me.
The mother who tries to buy her children's love and just wants to be loved herself, or at least made to feel like she is worth something.

Or the son who has made some bad choices and makes an innocent stop at home, despite bad blood, before attempting a new future.

I felt that the mom slipping pills into his bag was very out of character, though.

[Tom-497]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 8:59am

I may be misremembering, but I thought he did say what happened to his arm -- he ran into people to whom he owed gambling money. They broke it and told him he was getting off easy.

[youngerquaids]

Posted: 1/23/11 at 12:12pm

Saw the same performance as you did. My full review is linked below, but I felt like it started well and kept get worse and worse, both as written and in production, and then totally feel apart at the end.

I also thought his arm was broken by the men he owed. It's briefly referenced after Travis goes out to talk to the police a second time, I think.
Blood From A Stone Review