“The performances are uniformly quite strong...’Perp’ has a number of affecting moments...Yet as a tense psychological thriller, the play's lack of credibility undercuts the sense of danger and suspense...With a good deal of talk about light and God, the play becomes preachy almost to the point of sermonizing. Indeed, the play would benefit from a more potent dash of Coen brothers-style dark absurdism.”
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"Alexandro and Ben-Victor as the soul-stained detectives are excellently cast, playing off each other without a single misstep. The gender-blind casting of Alexandro as Jack is especially funny when she gets to deliver the hilarious line 'I got a hard-on a mile long' without blinking. Grant is brilliant as the soulful felon Myron, locked away for an unknown crime but brimming with goodness. Molina is spot-on as the creepy, anguished killer looking for love and redemption."
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"It works well for a play mostly contained to tight quarters...This is the plot point the play spins on, and I must confess, felt was too naïve and simplistic to play credibly...Under Lee Brock’s direction, the actors all acquit themselves well. They are believable, even if at times the writing is not. 'Perp' feels like a play still searching for itself, and given an evocative start such as this one, might help propel it to better fortune in its next incarnation."
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"An unconvincing, preachy, borderline surreal attempt to examine issues of good and evil within the context of a man wrongfully convicted of murder. Its attack on the criminal justice system has a certain satirical quality…It's all a setup allowing the characters to wax philosophical about mortality, good and evil, the concept of time, and to quote the Bible. You may feel you're here more for a sermon than a play, although the point is pretty vague."
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“There’s a fascinating play somewhere in Kessler’s meandering new work...As it stands, the play and production still feel like they’re searching for the right identity. Although I applaud Kessler for exploring the flaws in the criminal justice system, his play unfortunately registers a bit too indistinct and schematic...Brock’s admittedly well-acted production doesn’t help matters by staging the play without a compelling point of view or strong dramatic arc, both of which it needs.”
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"The lack of subjectivity and agency in Doug’s life is heightened to such a ludicrous, unreasonable and illogical level that it turns playwriting about disability satirically on its head, exposing all its discontents, to make something divinely original...Arkane, who brings Douglass to life with a sheer, subtle brilliance, meets the mark in portraying this character with reverence and respect...It’s the kind of thing that’s only done well once meticulous playwriting is paired with impeccable acting."
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"Its colorful characters challenge black-and-white assumptions, which in turn gives rise to universal questions...But perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the play is the professional debut of Arkane in the lead role...The performances and the production’s overall simplicity harmonize with the play itself, to a subtle yet powerful effect. The power lies in daring to ask the audience to look at the complexities of human nature through the eyes of a child."
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