I attended the Friday night showing, and I must say that I was really impressed with the caliber of the performance. Especially by the youth who were playing the leads. (Actually the adult parts were rather stiff in comparison)
The actors showed a great sense of timing. The body languange and physical acting helped the audience understand the verbal language that was sometimes a bit harder to understand. (Even with OSC's "translation" this is still Shakespeare)
I also really enjoyed the sword fighting scenes. It was clear that quite a bit of time was spent choreographing the fights. The weeping and wailing at the end was a little over the top, it actually made it hard to hear the final words of dialog. But other than that, it was a wonderful evening.
Kudos to all involved.
--- Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to see a number of these productions (one of the advantages of living in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina). They make a great night of entertainment for my family. If you live anywhere near Greensboro, you shouldn't miss these opportunities.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Thanks for the good review. I'm glad even my rewrites left it sounding like Shakespeare. I used the crying at the end to show the devastation to the community - the catharsis THEY felt - so that we could see that the change resulting from these children's deaths might be real and permanent. For some it might feel over the top - but for me, it's the essential eucatastrophe that makes the play something other than a melodrama. If we don't experience the change of heart in the survivors, then it's just a depressing story of children so dumb they think thwarted love is a reason to kill yourself.