OSWALD: 67% – BITTERSWEET
Colin Mitchell | Jan 23, 2012 | Comments 2 |
Andrew Perez and P. David Miller in "Oswald" at Write Act Repertory Theatre. Credit: Dennis Richard.
SWEET
For those of us who witnessed the unfolding of the remarkable real-life drama in television newscasts, this production elicits a feeling of déjà vu. For others, it offers an instructive glimpse at a landmark moment in a bygone era, when innocence began to fade away, preceding Vietnam, Watergate, and other calamities.
Les Spindle – Backstage
BITTERSWEET
The house was full, an aura of professionalism prevailed, and discipline and commitment abounded; but the production doesn’t touch the humanity of any of its characters and ultimately has absolutely nothing new to says or even imply.
Eve Meadows – Stagehappenings
SWEET
Director Richard Shepard keeps the performers in the tone and tempo of the time and we get that feel of the pressure of the situation. The whole world is watching. You should watch as well for this strong perspective on history and a man that in many ways still remains a mystery.
Trish Ostroski – Tolucan Times
BITTERSWEET
As such, it’s compelling as history if occasionally tedious as drama.
Kurt Gardner – Blog Critics
SWEET
A compact, yet weighty drama, this production is a smart and gripping piece that plays and feels authentic in tone and character.
Keisha7 – LASplash
BITTERSWEET
It is an interesting premise (a high stakes cat-and-mouse game played out between two individuals with the entire world watching and waiting), but because of far too many unnecessary scenes and characters, combined with substandard performances in the supporting roles (and director Richmond Shepard’s failure to rein them in), I believe Oswald will appeal mostly to the those individuals who have an unquenchable thirst for detective dramas or anything Kennedy.
Joel Elkins – LA Theatre Review
BITTERSWEET
Yet the staging, like the writing, keeps circling the same platform on which the interrogation unfolds.
Steven Leigh Morris – LA Weekly
BITTERSWEET
It is in the direction where sadly the most troublesome fault lies, and it pains me to say so. L.A. small theater owes a debt of gratitude to Director Richmond Shepard.
Earnest Kearney – Working Author
OSWALD
Write Act Repertory Theatre
6128 Yucca St., Hollywood
Jan. 13–Feb. 18, 2012; Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.
(Additional performances Sun., Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, 4 p.m.)
Tickets: (323) 469-3113
Filed Under: LemonMeter
About the Author: COLIN MITCHELL: Actor/Writer/Director/Producer, award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Broadway veteran, Marvel comics scribe, Van Morrison disciple, Zen-Catholic, a proud U.S. citizen conceived in Scotland and born in Frankfurt, Germany, currently living in Los Angeles and doing his best to piss off as many people as possible.
If this play about the world’s most famous “patsy” reveals or even implys “nothing new”, then there is no reason to see it. Oswald, a low-level intelligence agent, killed no one on November 22, 1963. He was killed to silence him. If the play doesn’t deal with that, it’s pointless.
The House Sub Committee on Assassinations concluded that there were “probable” conspiracies in the slayings of MLK and JFK. The Official Story that Oswald did it is an absurdity.
Barry, though I haven’t seen this particular play, just wanted to make sure I understand your point: are you saying that any play that takes a real historical character as a starting point and then writes something fictional about that character is “pointless”? Or are you just referring to this particular historical character specifically?
Didn’t Shakespeare do the exact same thing in pretty much all of his tragedies?
I believe there’s a play running right now called “Hunger” about a real person named Roy Cohn that is basically a fantasia musical of sorts. Would this fall under your “pointless” exercise as well?