I was disappointed by this play. I place the failure of this production squarely on the shoulders of the director. It often felt as if the cast really wasn't aware of what the play was about and that the director wanted to do this performance for the "shock value". The entire cast never really came alive until the piece "Totally Fucked". It was the first time that everyone seemed to understand what was going on.
Forget about feeling any compassion or empathy for the main characters Melchior and Wendella. Their performances were wooden and lacked any depth of emotion.
There were, however, 3 bright spots, Moritz, Martha, and Ilse. Their performances were the highlights of this production. They brought life to a rather dull performance. And were actually able to make the audience connect to them.
Overall, I wouldn't see this particular production of the play again. I'll wait for it to come back through the Willis Broadway Series at the Civic Center.
Stoner Studio Theater at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines @
- Des Moines @
, IA @
- Fri, May 4, 2012 @
Favorite moment: The dark I know well with Martha and Ilse, tough piece but done very well. @