DYING CITY by Christopher Shinn.
Pauline Adamek – LA Weekly
When Peter (Burt Grinstead) unexpectedly shows up at Kelly’s (Laurie Okin) Lower Manhattan apartment, the mood is prickly and awkward. It’s understandable; Peter is the identical twin of her husband Craig, a hard as nails soldier who recently died in a military accident in the Gulf. But during their uncomfortable conversation, many questions tug at this pair, threatening to tear them down into an emotional undertow. Did Craig really die in an accident? Why is Kelly’s phone number unlisted and why is she obscuring evidence she may be moving out? Read more…
Les Spindle – FrontiersLA
Christopher Shinn’s 2007 play Dying City, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, makes its L.A. debut in an electrifying production helmed by director Michael Peretzian. This haunting and challenging work charts the shattering journeys of three characters. The play examines the legacies of the Iraq War and the 9/11 tragedy juxtaposed to interpersonal relationships that are marred by emotional cruelty and betrayal.
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Terry Morgan – LAIST
It sometimes happens as a critic that you’ll see a show that’s been favorably reviewed, given awards or is simply a hit and wonder afterwards what all the praise was about. Seeing Dying City in Rogue Machine’s West Coast premiere is one of those times, unfortunately.
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Bob Verini – ArtsInLA
Dying City is, if memory serves, the first LA has seen of the remarkable output of playwright Christopher Shinn in almost a decade. It’s also the latest in a series of small-cast shows at which Rogue Machine has proved itself to be peerless. Both are reasons to make immediate plans to attend this timely and emotionally draining work.
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