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Room with a Review Part II: The Reckoning
Category: Games
The reviews for "The Tearful Assassin" are out!
As a young actor, my relationship with reviews was tenuous; I would read them over and over, like a mantra, until I believed whatever the scribe said. This was certainly the case when I was exploring improvisation - an art form that doesn't really warrant reviews at all, since the shows change drastically night to night. As a producer these days, it is my job to go through the reviews, not give them too much credit or scorn, and mine words and phrases for promotional blurbs.
First up, there's the abridged review of Sarah Terez Rosenblum (admittedly an interesting gal) from Centerstage Chicago:
All that needs to be said about "The Tearful Assassin" is, "Skip it," or if you're feeling dramatic, "Dear God, don't go!"
Written by Vincent Truman (admittedly an interesting guy), the blessedly short play uses a clever little Tarantino-esque time-shuffle to tell the story of a young girl abducted from her suburban home.
Unfortunately, "The Tearful Assassin" grates aurally and morally. In addition to being the LOUDEST play I've ever seen, what with the captured girl's endless sobbing and Opera-worthy screams, and the parents' incessant one-note arguing which naturally culminates in sex (FYI, a screechy fighting match and an assumed dead daughter are the best aphrodisiacs ever!), it is set in a world totally lacking in meaning, morals, or love.
This is not a review one can pull a lot from, but this could probably be said for any review by a writer who thinks Quentin Tarantino invented the time-shift in a story. Two of the lines in the play unintentionally rhyme; I'm surprised she didn't say I ripped off Jay-Z. In any event, it becomes obvious that, for blurb purposes, what I can pull...
"Clever" - Centerstage Chicago
Next up is Shannon Ray's abridged review from EDGE Chicago:
Losing someone you love, by far, is the hardest lesson that we face in our lifetimes. We all grieve in different and distinct ways- anger, resentment, hope for the impossible, and finally, avoided acceptance of the loss. In Vincent Truman's 'The Tearful Assassin', we take an intense gaze at one family's and how they deal with saying good-bye.
From the beginning scream within the first five minutes of the production, to the full circle ending, the viewer is indicated with a range of emotions as we watch the home abduction of teenager Angela Pierce (brilliantly played by Caitlin Emmons) and the aftermath that follows.
The teen is taken by a character known only as "Professor" (Robert Felker) for reasons unknown. The chemistry between Angela and the extremely creepy Professor is beyond chilling. I sat in my seat with goose bumps running up my arm with every "lesson of truth" that was given to the teen.
While their teenage daughter is missing, the audience also see's the hostile relationship between Angela's parents, Lawrence & Lorraine Pierce (Matthew Tucker & Mary Marshall). From the very moment their daughter is taken, the two are at each other's throats; playing the blame game. Angela's mother is a major control freak, while her father is more slack in nature. Their resentment towards each other reaches a boiling point with an unexpected result. It never seems to ever be about their daughter, but more about their "appetite for tragedy."
Rounding out this stellar cast are the two detectives assigned to the case- Loretta Runer (Shelley Nixon) and John Fowler (Vincent Truman). The realist and optimist are divided in nearly all aspects, expect one- to find Angela before it's too late.
Though I think the praise is almost a bit heavy in this review, it is a good karmic counterpoint to Centerstage's eulogy. However, although Ray nails the intent of the play in her first few words, it is not particularly blurb-worthy. This leaves us with:
"beyond chilling... stellar" - EDGE Chicago
Next up is the review from New City from Lisa Buscani, who was unwittingly a mentor of mine when I was first interested in producing/writing/performing back in the days when cellphones were called mobile phones and looked uncannily like the radios Army patrols used in Vietnam:
"The Tearful Assassin has all the snappy perversion of a "Law and Order: SVU" episode. But weak performances and missteps keep the show from being Dick Wolf-worthy. [synopsis] Vincent Truman's detective has a smart-ass naturalism that's fun to watch; Caitlin Emmons' terror and weary betrayal is truly believable. Truman's dialogue is authentic, but his plot has some glaring errors: allowing characters to suddenly take a bow mid-show and leave the stage is a jarring, ineffective decision. The show deserves better choices than that."
Of the four reviews, this one definitely sounds like the most disciplined critique of a work and I did write her to thank her. She did write back with a few more ideas, which we have in fact incorporated into the production. Added bonus: easy blurbs!
"The Tearful Assassin has all the snappy perversion of a "Law and Order: SVU" episode... Vincent Truman's detective has a smart-ass naturalism that's fun to watch; Caitlin Emmons' terror and weary betrayal is truly believable." - New City
Finally, there's Larry Bommer's review in the Chicago Reader. I admit to being a little anxious about this one above all, as Bommer is one of the big reviewers of stage productions in Chicago. He is also, as I've read throughout the years, rarely wrong or off-point.
"There's some sick truth here: When a 16-year-old girl is abducted by a supposed stranger, she's lost in more ways than physically. Strangely energized by the kidnapping, her parents, best friend, and boyfriend appear more interested in the fact of her disappearance than in what may have happened to her. Worse, they develop an appetite for tragedy that feeds on itself, replacing regret and even halting a police investigation. Though heavy-handed in its depiction of the ties that unbind, Vincent Truman's one-act earns its cynicism by revealing emotional details of the loved ones' lack of loss. Most haunting is the creepy fact that the kidnapper's concentrated interest in his victim outweighs her family's casual concern. Melissa Malan's staging for Viable Theater Company is as crisp and streamlined as the writing."
Oh, I like me a reviewer who uses them there adjectives.
"revealing... haunting... Melissa Malan's staging is as crisp and streamlined as the writing" - Chicago Reader
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So if you're in Chicago and haven't seen it - and I know you haven't - get down here. Not only do we have a great cast, great production, great script and a great drink deal at a nearby bar, we also have the pinnacle of theater success: great blurbs.
Fri/Sat 730pm; Sun 700pm
Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N Milwaukee
Through August 24
www.tearfulassassin.com
2:35 PM
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