About That Play
Originally posted on November 21, 2006
Kohana: Asher?
Asher: Yeah?
Kohana: I had a look at that play you asked me to read. Do you want to hear what I thought?
Asher: Sure do.
Kohana: You know you weren’t fair to me, having me review a play that wasn’t finished. Now I’m terribly interested in the story and how it will all turn out. Can I see the rest of it?
Asher: It’s um…. in revision… I can get it for you a little later. OK?
Kohana: Make is sooner rather than later, would you? I don’t mind if it isn’t polished. I’m rather curious.
Asher: So, what did you think? Of the part you read?
Kohana: It kept me interested. So it’s written as a series of vignettes about a whole lot of characters? At crucial points in their lives?
Asher: Yeah, that’s mainly it. And in the second act, which you didn’t get, all those characters’ lives are briefly revisited, and their stories are all tied together.
Kohana: That sounds quite clever. After just a minute or two with each character I really cared about them, you know?
Asher: That’s exactly what ….uh… the playwright had in mind, I think. It’s good to know he succeeded. Thanks for checking it out for me.
Kohana: Oh, not so fast.
Asher: Hmmmmm?
Kohana: I want to know when I get to read the rest of it!
Asher: I’ll have to check with the writer to…
Kohana: I’m not stupid, you know.
Asher: Who said you were?
Kohana: Come on Asher, you wrote this – didn’t you?
Asher: Well shucks, ma’am ya done caught me. Yeah, it’s mine. I didn’t want to tell you until I knew your real honest opinion.
Kohana: Well I didn’t give you my whole honest opinion – just yet.
Asher: No? I thought…
Kohana: That was just the beginning. I also wanted to say it was one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. I’m no expert of course, but I do know what I like. I would expect something like that to be all choppy, but it’s cleanly written and it really kept me interested. Without an ending, I wanted to fill in the blanks myself, but I knew I wouldn’t do nearly as good a job as “the writer” would. And I will definitely be coming to see it if it’s produced, even though I almost never attend plays of any kind. But there was one major thing that I really didn’t like……
Asher: What was that?
Kohana: Being left up in the air! NOW can I have the rest of it?
Asher: Sure you can – when it’s finished!
Kohana: Ohhhh! I just knew you were going to say that! Get it to me soon, or else!
Asher: Another day, another scheme to get her to come back…..