Why I can't give Thinner Than Water a proper review
My mom has asked me to review Thinner Than Water, a play that's currently being performed at Jefferson Park's Gift Theatre. We were originally supposed to see the play together, but my mom wound up not going because of other commitments. I wound up having commitments of my own that day, but they wrapped up early enough for me to actually attend the play.
And, honestly - it's kind of hard for me to review it without bringing in personal biases.
Thinner Than Water is a slice of life play about three half-siblings copying with the death of their father. He wasn't the most attentive of parents, which left the siblings struggling with abandonment issues, trust issues, commitment issues and varying degrees of other dysfunction. They communicate through passive aggression. They have trouble learning from past mistakes. Or getting past their personal issues to see a bigger picture.
Which kind of shaped my view of the entire play.
tweelore knows first-hand what certain members of my extended family are like. Other people reading this have heard me talk about it. But for everybody else... suffice to say that a lot of what happened during the play felt achingly, painfully familiar.
The acting was great. The sets were well put together. The sound design was great. It's a great script. But in the end of the day, it all kind of wound up being overshadowed by the fact that I was watching echoes of family drama, and, no matter how well-executed it is, it's not a pleasant experience.
On the objective, technical proficiency level - it's a good play. But is it worth your time? I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to ask.
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"Thinner Than Water" is playing at Gift Theatre, in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, until May 25. For showtimes, click here.
And, honestly - it's kind of hard for me to review it without bringing in personal biases.
Thinner Than Water is a slice of life play about three half-siblings copying with the death of their father. He wasn't the most attentive of parents, which left the siblings struggling with abandonment issues, trust issues, commitment issues and varying degrees of other dysfunction. They communicate through passive aggression. They have trouble learning from past mistakes. Or getting past their personal issues to see a bigger picture.
Which kind of shaped my view of the entire play.
tweelore knows first-hand what certain members of my extended family are like. Other people reading this have heard me talk about it. But for everybody else... suffice to say that a lot of what happened during the play felt achingly, painfully familiar.
The acting was great. The sets were well put together. The sound design was great. It's a great script. But in the end of the day, it all kind of wound up being overshadowed by the fact that I was watching echoes of family drama, and, no matter how well-executed it is, it's not a pleasant experience.
On the objective, technical proficiency level - it's a good play. But is it worth your time? I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to ask.
---
"Thinner Than Water" is playing at Gift Theatre, in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, until May 25. For showtimes, click here.