S76 - Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck - 3m, 2w
Stamp collecting is far more risky than you think. After their mother’s death, two estranged half-sisters discover a book of rare stamps that may include the crown jewel for collectors. One sister tries to collect on the windfall, while the other resists for sentimental reasons. In this gripping tale, a seemingly simple sale becomes dangerous when three seedy, high-stakes collectors enter the sisters’ world, willing to do anything to claim the rare find as their own.
posted by Jim Vogel at 6:12 AM
3 Comments:
I like this script. A dark comedy-thriller with a number of twists. It moves quickly and has great roles. Everyone is out for his/her self and doesn't care who he/she screws. It was produced locally by a small theater, Theater North, and apparently was directed in the round with minimal set by Peter Moore. I think audiences will like it. It isn't trying to deliver a profound message other than to enjoy yourself and have fun.
Oooo...the twists and turns! The characters were all complicated and flawed. The set was easy for the arena. Could we get Peter to direct it at TRP? I loved it!
The realistic/naturalistic, yet vague dialogue reminds me of how David Mamet and Yasmina Reza writes.
While there are elements that seem grounded in how humans behave, there are too many moments that feel drawn out because characters keep talking in circles (repeating lines/ideas). Mamet and Reza are guilty of this, too. It works best when there's comedy involved (like in some of Samuel Beckett's work). I don't see a ton of comedy in this script, though. This script feels like it is meant to be tense, dramatic, and dark.
The play does provide some interesting messages/ideas. The audience observes terrible human behavior over something as mundane as misprinted stamps. It could make the audience rethink the absurdity of how society values things, and how we can devalue other humans.
It's worth thinking about how the audience will react to a man beating and choking a woman on stage. This could be a "deal breaker" for some patrons.
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