tk+Review+of+a+Review

Taylor Keller THEA 2000 Richmond 18 February 2017 A Review of a Review  This article was in the New York Times and it was reviewing Caryl Churchill’s “Escaped Alone.” This play was at the Harvey Theater of the Brooklyn Academy of Music through Feb. 26th and is a British import play. Just to give a brief synopsis of the play, it dives into the depths of everyone’s deepest fears whether it be as personal as cats or as broad as the end of the world. It has a Alice in Wonderful feel where the main actress steps into a world where a voice calls her to, but it is anything but fantasy.

 This review of the play was very well written and it seemed like the reviewer enjoyed it a lot. They said that although the topic of fears is not something you would think you would find interesting to watch in the form of a play, “Escaped Alone” had more of an uplifting resonance that you “may find a new bounce in your step as you leave.” The reviewer used terms and phrases that showed that not only did they enjoy the play, but the **loved** it! One quote struck me was that the work was “perfectly executed and as playfully and purposely intelligent” which being in plays all my life, I have never heard the word perfect been said. The reviewer also enjoyed the “subliminal sound design” that helped the display the real life sounds of commonplace noises like traffic and children playing which helped the scenes where the 4 grandmothers are chatting on the lawn in the “other world.” The set design was also taken very well by the reviewer and said it was executed well to portray the essence of the play. It was simple with a backyard scene and then shifted to a black stage with only two glowing rectangles behind the actress to really have the audience focus the dialogue of the play and zero in on it without distractions. The monologues of the women were received to be very powerful and said in the article to strike a chord in everyone especially in England since it was at the Royal Court Theater a year ago. The reviewer explained that the play’s “combination of theatrical technique and untrammeled imagination” made you search into the depths as your mind as well as dive into the fantastic storytelling of “Escaped Alone.”

 This review was mainly a brief run though of the play as well as narrowing in on details made by the director as well as how well the production as a whole meshed. This reviewer (Ben Brantley) seemed to have zero complaints with this play and envisioned it to continue to be a big hit. This review ultimately did make me want to see the play and was very effective in describing all the reasons why and I give kudos to the reviewer for being able to do that in a short article.