Vagrant Trilogy At The Public

I’m hesitant to comment, because I saw the 1st preview, which was in pretty rough shape. Lots of pacing issues, production mishaps, and general uneasiness that I’m sure have been cleared up by now. Likewise, the performance ran 4 hours, but is almost certainly shorter now.

But in terms of the writing, I thought the first 2 acts were pretty strong, while the 3rd act was absolutely interminable. But again, this might partly have to do with the rough condition of the production; by the time the 3rd act started, the show had already been going on for 3 hours, and I was ready to go home.

Still, it seemed to me that the decision to structure the play as “fork in the road” concept was a smarter idea in theory than in practice. The first act establishes the circumstances that lead to a key decision from the protagonist. The 2nd act explores one possibly outcome, and the 3rd act explores the other possible outcome. Like I said, a compelling concept for this story, but I found it really hard to invest in the 3rd act, when its thesis, by that point in the play, was painstakingly obvious.

Overall, I thought it had strong elements, but didn’t live up to its potential.

Updated On: 5/4/22 at 12:59 PM

I really enjoyed this play, and actually liked the shift in Act 3 - I thought it was interesting and compelling to explore loss of identity at a trans-generational level. The point isn't to reveal something new with the "thesis" as one poster above suggested, as it rips a narrative that is all too true from a historical and ongoing crisis. It might be uncomfortable for much of the white and American theatergoing audience, but it is a story that emotionally portrays what it means to have an identity ripped from you, and actually explores a lot throughout the lengthy runtime.

The production itself was nice - the set was pretty cool and there was more to it than what met the eye in the seemingly spare space. They use projections and sound in a way that is effective, and they do help cover up some choppy transitions (that I do agree with). Lighting was good, as was the direction in my opinion.

Curious to see what others think

Updated On: 5/5/22 at 05:30 AM