Written by orange• September 25, 2024• 3:11 am• Review, Santa Ana, The Wayward Artist, Theater, Uncategorized

Peace Be With You @ Wayward Artist – Review

Photo credit Francis Gacad

Written by Alina Mae Wilson

While Peace Be With You had some strong actors and entertaining sequences, the unclear moral in the play left this reviewer mildly bewildered.

Story:

The story is about a young man named Lee (played by River Ramos) who wishes to join the United States Marine Corps. Lee’s intentions are met with mixed reactions from his family and friends. His mother, Jody (Rebecca Leeds), is heavily opposed. His boyfriend, Patrick (Aaron Lipp), is enthusiastically supportive, and his girlfriend, Courtney (Gabrielle Mack), shows reluctance on his behalf. What follows is Lee’s emotional response to life in the Marines and his family/friends’ reactions to his growing fear and anxiety.

I couldn’t find any clear moral to the story. Things happened just because… Things are revealed because they are… And while that might resemble the real world, it does not make for an interesting story. There was also far too much exposition and too little story being told. Random tidbits of information about the characters’ backstories served as world-building, and it would have been so much more effective watching it take place instead. An excellent example of showing, not telling, was the battlefield sequence.

Ramos stood on the stage, with blazing red waves projected behind him by projection designer Ariya Selvakumar, aiming his rifle at the audience. While some actors might fail to do this sequence justice, the expression change on Ramos’s face is riveting, and his devastation is evident.

Some of the dialogue in this play was jarring. Hearing Patrick (Aaron Lipp), a marine, refer to himself as a soldier seems odd. (source linked below article).

Set Design:

The set design from Marley Oyen was simple and serviceable, a black set with boxes that doubled as a bed and a mountainside. The occasional splash of color from the blankets helped set the tone. Seeing different characters change the sheets was an effective choice, clearly showing how the characters were feeling by watching them interact with their environment.

Acting:

River Ramos gives a passionate performance, bantering with his mother, Jody (Rebecca Leeds), in one scene and frantically scanning a mall for danger in another.

Gabrielle Mack, as Courtney, gives a heartrending performance during her monologs.

Peace Be With You has clear potential but may need more work before its next production.