Customer Reviews

Nocturne: A Play

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Fifteen Years ago, I killed my sister..."

From the visceral opening statement to the hopeful final moments, Mr. Rapp envelops the reader in a journey of tragedy and triumph. The young protagonist, the "resiliant narrator" of this story has decided that this is the place, and now is the time to recount the past fifteen years of his life. From the horrible accident involving his sister, his mothers emotional disconnect and his father's violent actions, we see a downward spiral of events prompting the young man to relocate to the East Village in New York City. Having found comfort and solace in the used works of literature his job at the bookstore allows him, our hero begins to make a life for himself, writing the events that led him to his current state. The pure hope and will of the story effortlessly comes out of his failed relationship with 'the beautiful red headed girl with the grey-green eyes' and his father reaching out for an intimate connection to his diparate son. I am a director who believes one must love a play for what it is and what it says in order to effectively direct it. I am directing this play right now.

A fluid horror story of a young man's efforts to get out from under the death of his own sister, at his "hands."

The play leaves no doubt-it's the first line, and on the back of the book that "Fifteen years ago I killed my sister" is the central point in this man's life.

Though a play, it is written in such a way that one actor could do all the speaking, though a cast list features a sister, mother, father and girlfriend.

A short read, it is wondefully written, full of literary nostalgia, and images of sensational pain and wonder.

A family destroyed; a sister dead, a mother broken, a father paralyzed and a son shaken. Such a tale comes to good, as the situation and the characters are brought alive in a vivid way.

Any show that starts off with "Fifteen years ago I killed my sister" is going to be a helluva ride. Nocturne is that.

My introduction to Rapp. And a very good introduction. I find this story to be horrifying and sad. Not for those who like happy endings and smiles. Rapp has quickly become one of my favorite playwrights. Most of his plays are pretty funny but when he sucker punches you on occasion. This is one of those sucker punches that leaves you wanting more Rapp. A must buy and see.

While thoroughly enjoying the images created by the way Adam Rapp creatively and captively arranges the words on the pages to envoke the widest ranges of emotions and feelings, I walked away from the book being very disappointed with the story. It's vanilla. Plain, homemade, vanilla. Sure it's got it's shocking opening and that carries through the first two chapters amazingly well. But it kept going And going. And going, to a point where I didn't care anymore about that character and the predictable path he goes through as his life spirals downward into a pit that, once again, Adam Rapp created so eloquently with his words.

Overall, it was worth it for the glory of the words, you just have to sit through a boring story to get them all. Fortunately, for many, in our society innundated with half-hour television shows and fast paced, seat-of-your-pants living, our attenion span has become....limited. So therefore, like our attention, plays these days, are short.