the play needs a little work, in my opinion, I was personally left with one such feeling, "well, I wish I would have seen that rather than hear about it" that as a playwright think could have been easily dealt with to complete some character arcs much needed. however, the play is about an idea, the idea of being "Raised" from the dead. The title of said by is, "Raised" by Stephen Cone at the side project theatre (running through July 1st) and starring Madeline Long of such "It's Madeline Long" and 'my girlfriend' fame.
Her character, Anna dies at a very young age. Her sister, Ella pleas with her Reverend father to attempt to raise Anna from the dead. His attempt succeeds and Anna is brought back into a world, anew, reborn, etc. etc. etc. Not quite a "Zombie" flick, the play deals with the emotional stability of the dead and the living rather than the hunger for blood. The hunger in this play is sexual. And Anna's reawakening leads her to lust after her former beau rather than swoon as they must have done before she died. In Anna's way is her beau's stepmom who both lusts after him in her life as well as ultra-lusts after him once she herself has died and been "Raised". She is "Raised" twice, but the conflict of being double "Raised" is not seen.
The cast of this play is dead-on (pun intended) as a Southern collection of believers and non-believers. A particular stand out is the Doctor who must throw everything he has learned out the window after witnessing the miracle himself. The relationship he has with his senile wife, who is dying of old age, brilliantly portrayed, sets the Doctor up for his ultimate (and the plays) conflict. Should the Reverend continue to raise the dead?
I left the play in that hazing haze of new play wonder. I'll have to see it again to believe it all and hope the evolution allays my troubled mind.
Go see this play for yourself, my friends. Those in the bizness, those that will be producing shows there in the future, the side project theatre knows how to use their space. We should all take note.
