Fall play review

The Varsity Players performed James Joyce's "The Dead". The play was creative and fun in ways that I did not expect. I had not heard of the play prior to seeing the play, so the story was completely new to me. Overall the performance was portrayed very well by all the characters, but the story itself fell short for me. I did not fully understand what the goal of the play was, or what the character's motives were. Every character had their own, definable personalities, which helped identify which character was who. It was difficult for me though, to understand why they played the role they did, and what affect they had on those around them.

I enjoyed how the black box was set up, with four different sections for the audience. This provided some breathing space for the actors as well as the audience members. The costumes and props were completely relevant to the show, and the musical aspect of the play was new and entertaining. For the most part, the story was pretty light and fun, with some darker aspects mixed in. When I heard the play was going to be a "tragic comedy", I did not think that could be achieved. I was completely proven wrong. I wish I would have known the story before watching it because I feel like I would have enjoyed the play more if I did not have to try to piece the storyline together.

Overall, I enjoyed the show and how the actors portrayed the characters. I was glad that I attended and I did not expect to appreciate the style of the stage, as well as the blocking throughout the whole show. The musical parts of the play made the story more upbeat and lively, and the dinner party scenes were executed very realistically.