About the Show

White Horse Theater Company presents a new drama about the Manson family member Susan Atkins, and the notorious Manson murders.

A theatrical re-imagining of the life of Susan Atkins, moving through time and space, questioning allegations of murder and deceit. Set in Atkins’ prison cell, on the eve before a key moment in the Manson murder trial, Susan Atkins is having doubts about testifying against Charles Manson. Knowing full well that Susan's change of heart may send her to death row, a well-intentioned social worker visits Susan in jail. Attempting to understand Susan's fears and motivations, The Woman urges Susan not to retract her grand jury testimony and to take the stand against Manson. In an ensuing battle of wills, questions of truth and innocence abound shattering expectations and challenging our capacity for forgiveness.

Critic Reviews (2)

"Marion, who both wrote and directed the piece, leaves us with little more than tepid interest in her subjects, due mostly in part to a rudimentary script and adequate acting...Brentan’s interpretation of Manson is, at times, chilling but is written and acted with singular dimension. Certainly psychopaths have more complexity than that...As evidenced by the gentleman who was stretched out and sound asleep within the first 30 minutes of the play, 'You Are Perfect' misses the mark."
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"My main complaint is that, while it is good, it doesn’t go far enough. Despite its movement to probe deeper in to the mind of Susan Atkins and the mentality of someone brainwashed by a charismatic psychopath, it didn’t leave me with a particularly fresh insight into manipulation or cult mentality...‘You Are Perfect’ is not perfect, but it is also far from bad. There’s certainly enough drama here for a regular theatergoer, certainly enough tainted hearts for a nihilist to enjoy."
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Trailer

Creative team