“The play's most frustrating line is its last one, ‘And more shall be revealed!’ Halliday is reaching for poignant ambiguity here, but it just feels like ‘Up the Rabbit Hole’ ran out of script before it ran out of story. Up to this point, we have learned all about Jack's problems, but we don't know Jack. It's a shame, because there appears to be a lot more to know.”
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"A touching play about a young man seeking acceptance. It’s neither a 'coming of age' nor a 'coming out' piece, but rather a psychological odyssey...This play, by Andy Halliday, is well-constructed, has an arc, and believable characters. Having both mothers played by the same actress was a bit of casting genius...Smith defines both women exquisitely...Given that the work is largely autobiographical we can relax knowing our protagonist really has climbed out of the hole."
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"A tale sweetly told, autobiographical in nature and well cast...We’ve seen this story before and we’ve seen these characters too...Halliday’s work is witty at times, but the plot really revolves around Jack and his endless desire for the advances of a pseudo-heterosexual...Perhaps, my discomfort is that this play is entirely too plausible in 2017...Smith, a lovely actress who gives us a pair of dignified performances as two characters, offers us a quick note of humor too."
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"Halliday apparently believes he can present a series of recalled scenes from his life and assume they’ll rise from reported incidents to full-fledged drama...As he goes along, Halliday takes patrons to and through various meetings between and among the characters...The actors, under G. R. Johnson’s sure direction, are all more than proficient in their roles...Halliday puts forth a specific slice of life as precariously lived today—and in not small numbers—but he needs to do more with it."
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"Andy Halliday’s newest and deeply personal play seems at first a cliché, however as the play moves forward it is clear that this narrative isn’t part of the mainstream...The primary weakness of the show is the pace...Tyler Jones carries the piece with his excellent physicality and effusive charm...While some edits and some tightening up would benefit the production, 'Up the Rabbit Hole' is powerful and moving."
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"Raw, honest and brave. It also, in places, suffers from the lack of objectivity that affects many writers as they attempt to mold their life experiences into dramatic narratives. There is plenty to like, including a strong cast, but both directorially and script-wise, it’s in need of further development...Despite its unevenness, though, 'Up the Rabbit Hole' manages, at times to be deeply moving and tenderly funny."
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"Several scenes in the play drag with a maudlin safety...The conversation is idyllic and natural but lacks significance...When the drama heats up it is a joy to watch the patience pay off with strong choices from actors and characters alike... Johnson’s directing puts Jones front and center for naturalistic transitions, and the pair works beautifully...There is a real satisfaction in the structure of the final scene that inspires tangible gratitude."
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