I saw this tonight and overall I REALLY enjoyed it (thanks orlikethecolorpurple!) up until the last scene, which felt abrupt and a little out of place. Nothing that can't be fixed, though, and it sounds from the talkback as though they at still editing the piece.
I really liked the whole idea of this play. Seeing this one woman at different points in her life was a very effective way to tell what was really a simple story in an interesting and compelling way. They use the different actresses very effectively--because a few of them come and go and it's not in chronological order, it felt seamless. The different women embody the character so much that I really did not even notice which actress was which. It worked much better than I anticipated honestly.
The way in which the story was told made me really connect with the character. Seeing her later in life early on, I knew of a few things that would happen, but was left intrigued as to how she ended up that way and what details happened in the middle. What they revealed did not disappoint me personally. You don't know every answer to every question, but you know enough about what made this woman who she is and the struggles she went though.
I saw a powerful feminist narrative that I found compelling. This is a woman who has spent her life trying to be what she thought a wife and mother should be yet she never really knew herself. I was left wondering if this was really a byproduct of the times in which she lived, or if she brought this on herself by seeing herself as merely reacting in the way society expected her to. I suspect it was a bit of both.
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I found the scene where it revealed how her son died was particularly compelling, and honestly it could've ended with the phone ringing. (Although perhaps that would draw comparisons with the ending to the Herd, which Steppelwolf JUST did.). The last scene just didn't seem that interesting and like others, I didn't completely get it. I felt like every other scene was really a key moment in this character's life that shaped her. The last scene was mundane and didn't rise to that level. I definitely got that the woman in blue she described on the quilt was what she wanted to be herself--she wanted to stand out and be different. But the description of pioneers and milkmaids on the other panels didn't strike me as her at other parts in her life. I think it was probably supposed to be, but it could've been clearer. And overall my biggest criticism was that the ending was far too abrupt. Everyone's applause was very uncertain when the house first went dark. I just think they need to find a more satisfying way to make the end message clearer and tie it up. (Or, just end it at the prior scene.)
At the talkback they mentioned that it has more of an ending and is more cohesive than last weekend, so it sounds like they're still working on it. I think my dissatisfaction with the ending is completely fixable and this has a TON of potential to be a powerful show that would be an interesting piece on Broadway. I don't know if it will be a big seller because it can't be a star vehicle and the concept isn't going to bring tourists, but I hope more people have the opportunity to see this well-written play. Also, the staging was really beautiful and thoughtful--someone at the talkback pointed out that it reflected her discussion in one of the scenes about compartmentalizing her life. Overall, I thought the staging was very thoughtfully done, and they made a rather complicated piece work seamlessly.
By the way, if you go to a show at steppenwolf, I highly recommend staying for the discussions afterward! They're about 20 minutes and I've always found them very thought provoking.
Updated On: 4/9/16 at 02:00 AM
