photo: Sara Krulwich
Half of this play is good. The other half
is complete shit needs a re-write. Which means that 45 minutes are bearable -- the other 45 had me staring at the slowly revolving stage. It's difficult writing something bad about a playwright you respect, so I will try to keep my comments mostly friendly. But the one troubling thing I do find with Shinn's work is that he tries far too hard to create psychological characters who don't exist beyond the limits of their own inner demons. In an Arts & Leisure piece about him from a few years ago, Shinn revealed that he sees a therapist daily. After seeing "Dying City," I'm not surprised, but therein lies the fault with this play. As their creator, he has overanalyzed his characters to death. Thankfully, there are talented actors trying to bring them to life, though good talent will only take you so far.
photo: Sara Krulwich
