17 Minutes

See it if Simple, sad tale told in the wake of a school shooting, meandering writing, solid cast, good Brian Rojas, super Lee Brock.

Don't see it if Kinda slow, heavy-handed, only comes alive very late in the play in a scene with a mother of a dead student.

See it if you're interested in a unique perspective on a school shooting, you are interested in a short but intense show surrounding high emotions

Don't see it if you're expecting to feel new things after the show, you're hoping for intensity or drama, you want more time on deep subjects like this

See it if You like plays that deal with school Shootings

Don't see it if You don’t like shows that deal with important issues, but don’t go deep enough

See it if You like quiet intensity.

Don't see it if You like more "theatrical" acting. The acting, especially by the lead, is extremely subtle.

See it if Want to see a play that deals with the aftermath of a school shooting.

Don't see it if You are expecting a big lavish production. This is very much blackbox theater.

Also “The thing with feathers”, Scott Oregon’s last play was one of my favorites of 2018. I had this play on my list of plays to see from the moment I found out about it. I will admit that my expectations were very high and I was definitely disappointed by this.
I thought the first scene was incredible. The acting was perfection. The detective looked, acted and even wrote like a detective.
The costumes and the lighting were great.
After the first scene I felt no emotion from any of the characters and I just didn’t care one bit about anything that was happening.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see good acting in a heavy drama that has a somber tone.

Don't see it if You want something insightful. The play does not reach a conclusion.

See it if Technically sound production. "Safe" writing.

Don't see it if Looking for suspense or twists or turns.

Also The first and last scenes are excellent. Set, costume, and lighting terrific. One of the best prop guns I've seen. Too much sitting for my taste in terms of direction. The middle moves slow because the supporting characters are not interconnected and the rising action (if any) is slow to the climax. Like a thunderstorm in the beginning that never turns into a hurricane but rather loses momentum and turns into a light rain.

Also, the 2nd scene stretches credulity. Would a wife (only miscast in an otherwise strong ensemble) of a school police officer with 11 killed on his watch really be looking at retirement options in a chipper mood the in next day??? No.... Read more Read less