#while being both poignant and optimistic in the dialogue

[roxannarambles]

Roxy Rambles About Mystic Messenger (& mostly 707)

So, last year, I saw one of my online friends posting screenshots on their twitter. It looked like some kind of chatroom, but their tweets referred to it as a game, so I got confused and asked them about it. They explained it was actually a phone game-- specifically, a story-focused dating game aimed at a primarily female audience, also known as an otome. 

(click below for full post. Caution: contains major spoilers for Mystic Messenger, as well as opinions. oh gosh. opinions oh no.)

Amused, I downloaded the game just to satiate my curiosity. And what I found was pleasantly more engaging and well-done then I had expected. While I wouldn’t call the writing of Mystic Messenger to be consistently fantastic-- there are ups and downs-- there are definitely plenty of spots that are downright poignant.

There’s a cast of characters to choose from, of course, as these games go, and you can choose to date them one at a time to play out all the endings of the game. First I dated this young college boy who was addicted to gaming, and who had never dated before and was still struggling to adjust to living alone now and being a new adult. His gaming addiction sprung from his depression and general sense of aimlessness at what he wanted to do in life. Honestly, there was a lot to relate to with the character, and I feel like the storyline was, for the most part, thoughtful and maturely handled. 

Next I dated the female character, and much of her storyline and character development was very engaging and even poignant as well. She worked as an assistant for a major company and was deeply overworked and unhappy in her job but felt kind of trapped in it and lacked confidance to break away. You become her friend and confidant and cheer her on and encourage her and she eventually gains the self-knowledge and courage she needs to find her own path in life. Again, so much to relate to and so many great messages there. I genuinely enjoyed it.

There’s certainly some aspects of this game that were not written quite so well; sometimes the drama really went over the top. This is especially the case with Zen’s route where his abusive family was hypercontrolling over his life because he was . . . too beautiful? I found it rather silly. There’s a LOT of abusive family/tragic backstories that went a little over the top in these stories, but I suppose the soap operatic mellodrama is supposed to be part of the appeal.

Despite those weaknesses in the writing, it does not disguise the strengths, and when they shined through, they really shined through; with dialogue that usually felt very natural and on-the-mark and some really great moments.

And then . . . there was 707.

This is the character I ended up liking too much. You can’t even date him until you earn enough of the in-game special currency to unlock his route (or spend real money). He was swathed largely in mystery as a hacker who kept his privacy and a lot of secrets. His presence in the chats mainly consisted of adding a hyper, cheerful, goofy presence, joking about, being good-natured, launching the occasional prank campaign (which at first I perceived as needlessly cruel, but as time went on the tone in which it was intended was further revealed; the same could be said about Jahee saying very nosy and cruel things at times about Yoosung, etc.) and babbling about his passions (which largely consisted of cars, cats, and Dr. Pepper).

And yes, I ended up liking him the best. One of the best things about the game was the phone calls you received from the characters. They were generously long, well-written and well voice-acted. You actually get to know the cast of characters very well that way. When I initially hated Zen because of his narcissism, he called me during other routes and I learned a lot about him that way and found out he was actually a good guy (they just perhaps oversold the narcissism to a ridculous degree at times). Same for Seven—you knew so precious little of him, but his phone calls on other routes revealed just a tad more, giving you a flavor for his presence that transcended the relative lack of information. He especially became involved during the latter part of the story routes, when the action and danger elements of the plot kicked in and he was tasked with trying to keep you safe.

Ahhhh, I don’t know. I’m trying to recall the moment I decided he was the best one, but I can’t. I do remember the way he signed off his phone calls was always charming as heck. At some point I decided I would date the nerd as the last one, because that is how I wished to finish it, as he was my favorite.

I wasn’t entirely stupid, and I caught the hints in the game at a very angsty and dramatic backstory for him. So I knew it wouldn’t be all fun and happytimes, but he was still the best one to me anyway. And it was fun to spend time speculating on his mysteries while dating the others.

Over my winter break I got the Christmas DLC to noodle around with before continuing with the main story, since it ‘twas the season. They let you date anyone in that short little sidestory. I had not selected anyone in particular when I started but it rapidly became obvious there was no way I was going to do anyone but him, as I was too impatient. After that, well, during the main story I was SUPPOSED to do Jumin’s route first. That had been my intent. And I started out that way! But I quickly abandoned it.

Seven, like the others, has things that are easy to relate to. In his case, I found his energy, playfulness and optimism even in the face of darkness to be highly relatable. He was actually very depressed and had seriously negative self-perceptions and had a very painful past. But he was both positive and negative at once. And I know that experience. To be both optimistic and deeply pessimistic; to be both cheerful and playful yet also in so much pain. To like yourself but also to hate yourself quite strongly. It does not make much sense, but you can be both at once, and it has been my case for many years. The playfulness and antics helped Seven to stay bouyed above the ocean of pain, to survive, and I feel at times like that is what keeps me afloat too. We differ in that I tend to gaze directly into the dark pit of my despair far more often than he did, while he tended to do everything he could to pretend it did not exist; yet still, there’s much to relate to and understand.

And there’s much to admire. Because while part of it may be escapism from pain and failing to cope with your sense of sorrow or emptiness, a sheer coping mechanism that is not truly coping, it’s also . . . admirable. Because part of it is truly, genuinely who you are: a happy, optimisitc person, who manages to hold on to some of that spark and cheer and refuses to let it be consumed by the black. You still cling to joy. You don’t forget how to have fun. You are . . . incomplete, but at least you are still fighting, still searching. To keep that spark alive? That is so brave.

And I love him for that, and for his weirdness. He loves the funny and the weird and the wonderful, and he’s imaginiative. Perhaps fantasy and imagination is part of what lets us feed our spark in dark, cold times. He’s creative and incredibly intelligent and talented. He has hobbies and passions (cool ones!). He is kind and generous and giving to others, always there to help them out. There is so much depth and complexity, not just a surface-level cheap phone game drama. And the voice acting, especially, imparts so much sincerity and life.

Plus, he made me a robotic puppy as a gift. If that’s not the coolest, most sweetest, fantastic way to express your love, I don’t know what is.

I had to go through QUITE the dramatic, angst-packed storyline on his route, because the writers of this game tend to go overboard on that, and I never do well with heavy angst. While I did not enjoy the angst, and it was honestly rather difficult and painful to get through, I was willing to stick it out because of how excellent a character Seven is.

I’m not about to claim Mysme is a perfect game. There are some elements I find downright problematic. When I went back later and played Jumin’s route, for example, I found it pretty disturbing; his “good” ending seems to teach the impressionable young people playing this game that it’s okay if a man locks you up in his apartment and refuses to let you leave-- as long as you’re patient and understanding, he’ll eventually change and become a better person. (Guys? This is not OK.) There’s some crap I could get into when discussing Rika as well, but I think you get the idea that the story isn’t always perfect. 

That said, I don’t expect anything to be perfect, and there are a ton of positives to be found in this otome as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the game. I haven’t played any other otomes, but I suspect this one is a cut above the rest. 

In the end, I guess the moral of my story is . . . try out something new. You never know when something really silly ends up being a lot better then expected.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff ~ Seven of the Season: SU Season 5

Wallop on my jollops, Batman, we got ourselves one of the best seasons of anime that I dare say will be the best of year in its entirety. I’m talking Mob Psycho 100 II like, holy shit, talk about doubling down on giving people a roller coaster of a time in the first month; it’s amazing. But enough about that, we’re talking about Steven Universe’s climatic season before Steven Universe 2 potentially blows us all away. Here be the TOP 7 Best Episodes of Steven U’s final season. Seven, because it’s lucky, babey. Okay *pops a beer* so....

Number 7: Can’t Go Back

It is something where I don’t hate Lapis as much as I’ve seen most else. So when we got an episode where Steven and Lapis get to casually talk to each other on the moon, I was definitely down with that. Wasn’t too big a fan of the musical number, but I liked that Steven and Lazuli just had a sincere yet casual chat about her situation after jetting off, Lapis coming to terms with her more aloof character, something I wanted more of from this series. However, the ending definitely set this back. In the sense that Lazuli was surely coming around, at the very least work through to shed off the fears she possessed previously, those doubts and anxieties are unnecessarily strengthened as the Pink Diamond plot gets in the way with Steven not even trying to stop and ease Lapis’ panic mode after his nightmare; practically made the episode just feel like set up for the Rose Quartz twist in that instant when it didn’t have to and Lazuli’s turnabout in Reunited feel slapdash. The casualness or laid back atmosphere of this is what I say made this episode in the list, but, with all due respect, fuck that ending.

6. Change Your Mind

It’s safe to say I was thoroughly entertained from this finale like my god, it just went all out with giving people the confrontation of a lifetime and I can’t stay mad at it. But, on rewatch, it loss the enticement when it’s pretty by the book. If Steven wasn’t Pink, I’d have no doubt that not only would this have been different, but would’ve been a whole lot challenging for Steven and everyone in its entirety. But for this, it’s kinda the prime example of why I see many be frustrated with this show: because you’re either with it and applaud it for its efforts or sit there empty or disappointed the second you turn your brain on and try to process what legit happened. And for me, the diamonds having a change of heart in their more abusive connection with Pink, Steven fusing with everyone, White Diamond not even fighting for her worldview after getting roasted one time, didn’t feel earned as it did just fall in place for Steven, the exception being his connection with Pink Steven. Everyone was just on the same page by the end, except for those forced shard fusions who writhe and scream in constant pain and agony, reaching out to escape their torment after the Diamonds approved experimentation on them; the ones who can't be fixed. I bet they're okay with the Diamonds laughing it up with Steven at a pool party. And as bombastic and emotionally charged as it was as a entertaining episode, it lacked coordination or a good semblance of logic to be a good episode.

Number 5: Pool Hopping

Honestly Garnet getting to act more eccentric, hanging out with Steven, is what made this episode stand out at first, but to see her acknowledge Steven’s growth, changing her perspective on him, is what made this a stand out episode. I like how this is parallel to season one’s Future Vision except it’s at no one’s fault and Steven is more comfortable with the unpredictability of things compared to beforehand. And what’s especially poignant about this is that it serves as both a standalone that genuinely felt like a “Season 5″ episode and in hindsight a great preface to Ruby and Sapphire’s arc later on. It’s pretty middle on the list because the next entries have a little more to them, but I nonetheless say this a great episode for Garnet.

Number 4: Reunited

I’d say any criticisms I have for this were how I felt about Change Your Mind but not as heavy. It was all entertaining, but loses momentum when you bother turning your brain on for a bit. Like, even on my first viewer, knowing full well that Steven is Pink, I figured soon as the Diamonds would arrive that “Ah, Steven’s gonna make them open up their eyes,” which initially diminished any impact the whole fight scene had on me; making it more of a laughable tussle then a serious root worthy standoff. It’s kinda hard to feel invested when you feel the protag’s not gonna lose in any semblance! But, what makes this generally better than Change Your Mind is the wedding part of it all. Man, if this episode was just about the wedding, it would’ve been #1 no question. The musical, the ceremony, Rubes and Sapphy in general, it all just came together like quality fettuccine! I’m a sucker for weddings and that was one of the best moments of the show.

Number 3: Escapism

I’ve already talked about this episode, almost ad nauseam, so if you wanna know more about why I say it’s the best of the Diamond Days arc, links here, here, and here. But long story short, this was an episode that utilized the point of the title extensively. In contrast to Steven and Connie’s barren situation, the episode was an escapism in a literal and figurative sense and even then, it’s one where Steven had to genuinely fight to get the ending he wanted. Reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite books, The Odyssey. It’s one where I genuinely empathized with the kid’s struggles since he found his situation dire and serious. It was mostly absent of dialogue which made the visuals stand out more to me. And really, I had a laugh at how Steven was done with this shit which made his successes feel more.... gratifying, lack of a better term. And the cherry on top was the musical number, which had me thinking of its purpose for once. Needless to say, I enjoyed thinking about this episode.

Number 2: Back to the Kindergarten

This episode is an earnest time waster. I mean that as a big compliment and because it literally amounts to Peridot wasting time on futile efforts to come to a valid sense of self actualization. Seems episodes containing the shorty squad with Scallion head as the central focus amount to the most meaningful slice of life episodes and I’m for episodes like this. Raising the Barn was generally boring until the end, but this episode makes up for that with a solid experience for Peridot handling the aftermath of Lapis abandoning her. Amethyst was a direct, yet necessary push for Peridot to head to the Kindergarten, especially when she herself was pumped to go now knowing her lineage, and it was neat how Peridot’s newfound colorful perspective shined a profound light on how the Kindergartens were harmful to Earth. Even Steven was a great backbone to the others, being a good team player to both Peridot and Amethyst when they briefly tag teamed to be Smokey. While I was questioning why the trio were planting sunflowers in a place… devoid of sunlight, the end where Peridot looks over the leviathan batch of ‘em, signifying the vast opportunities she still has while alive, in comparison to the first train ride she had where she sulked away from the scenery, was a lovely feel to look back on. This was an enjoyable watch the whole way through and a good episode to think about from time to time. But I’d expect nothing less for best Crystal Gem.

Honorable mentions: Jungle Moon, The Trial, The Question, A Single Pale Rose

Number 1: What’s Your Problem?

My only complaint for this episode is the beginning where Amethyst is more callous than before, being generally ignorant to Pearl and Sapphire sobbing right in front of her. I understood what she was going for, doesn’t diminish the episode, but the writers made her sound pretty out of character. A great joke in this is when Amethyst tries to literally jet off and for a split second, I forgot that Steven can jump high and seeing him pounce at her just caught me off guard. Then we have the end, where, after trying to help him open up, Ame tells Steven that she’s tired of him having to carry the others’ melancholic baggage and that he deserves to have a voice for himself. And that… stuck with me, resonated with me because her putting her foot down felt honest, sincere, and to the point. And man, if I can resonate with a Steven Universe episode at this state, someone did something objectively right. I especially like that after her big moment, she playfully recoiled when Steven casually gave her a compliment to think about. I’d say it showed that Steven does want to express his feelings, but he feels that venting isn’t gonna resolve much like how it used to. It showed the two supporting each mutually without having to feel sorry for themselves. This episode not only boosted my love for Amethyst, other best Crystal Gem, her and Steven’s sibling bond over time, culminating to this moment, is what I enjoyed most about this series. If more episodes was like that third act, I would praise this show a whole lot more.

Won’t lie, got mixed feelings about this season. On one hand, it’s the Kingdom Hearts 3 of this series where there’s some finality to it, there was quite a lot to enjoy, and I feel relieved sticking by it the whole way. On the other hand, the majority of episodes didn’t faze me as much and it felt exhausting actually getting some finality to this series since this season took almost two years to premiere everything. At the very least, I’m optimistic in the fresh start SU 2 will potentially bring with the movie this coming fall; it’s gonna be the Knack 2 of Cartoon Network. In any case, my kudos to the crew for this series and their dedication* to it.

[chicagoindiecritics]

New Review from Jeff York of Creative Screenwriting Magazine: Why Casablanca Is Considered One Of The Best Films Of All Time

No one expected it at the time. Casablanca sparkled with Hollywood stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, but was predicted to be yet another Warner Bros. war picture. Based on Murray Burnett and Joan Allison’s unproduced play, Everybody Comes to Rick’s, the rights were acquired by Hal B. Wallis for $20,000— the highest amount any producer had paid for a project of that kind.

When production began on May 25th of 1942, the screenplay wasn’t finished. A trio of writers, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and his twin Howard Koch, scribbled last-minute dialogue on set, handing scraps of paper to assistants who scurried them to the actors, seconds before the cameras rolled. Memorable lines like, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” were improvised.

Difficulties surfaced, one being the substantial height difference between Bergman and Bogart. Bogart was two inches shorter, requiring him to stand on blocks in their scenes together and during their iconic kiss. Bergman also insisted on being shot on her left side, a frustrating request for cinematographer Arthur Edison. Bogart’s wife offscreen accused him of having an affair with Bergman, a distraction he didn’t need since he was already out of his element playing Rick Blaine. Most of the cast believed the dialogue in the film was laughable.

The romantic drama with an exotic Moroccan backdrop was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, but in sequence, for the sole reason that the second half of the screenplay was non-existent. It’s Love I’m After screenwriter Casey Robinson worked on uncredited rewrites for three weeks. The censorship board rejected sexual references, forcing the deletion of dialogue and long stretches of footage. Klieg lights toppled over and shattered while shooting film noir lighting, so shadows were painted instead of created. Wartime restrictions on building supplies required the use of recycled set pieces from previous productions. A timeless masterpiece was far from anyone’s mind, especially for Michael Curtz, who wasn’t Jack Warner’s first choice for director. His Hungarian accent provoked much confusion amongst the crew, nearly causing him to quit during principal photography. The cost exceeded the original budget of $878,000, totaling $1,039,000. By all accounts, Casablanca should have bombed.

Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)

Then on November 26th of 1942, Casablanca premiered at the Hollywood Theater in New York City and went into general release two months later.  It proceeded to win three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay with five other nominations. Today, the classic contends with the greatest of films, rooted in a screenplay considered by many to be the best of all time.

In 2006, the Writers Guild of America awarded it that prestigious title. Universities and film historians praise its inter-woven plots and overall screenwriting craftsmanship.

“There are a lot of great things about the script,” said Kevin Willmott, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. “The story is very interconnected. Rick and Ilsa’s backstory and present story and the challenge to his current belief system are all beautifully intertwined.”

“Casablanca has characters that are both universal and particular to their time,” said Poltergeist screenwriter Michael Grais. “Many of the actors in the film were recent refugees from Nazi Germany. They brought to the movie a realism that was unique. None of the characters are one-dimensional… Bogart (Rick) set the tone for many film characters to follow — the broken-hearted, reluctant hero — a man who is bitter about politics and refuses to take sides. All three of the main characters are broken-hearted, not only because of each other, but because of what has happened to the world under the Nazi scourge. This is the heart of the film for me and who among us has not been broken-hearted and cynical about what the world has become? The film is as potent and timely today as it was when it was first written in 1942.”

The basic ingredients to a quality film apply today just as they did back then — an engaging story, plot twists, pacing and something that’s overlooked, dialogue that’s unique to each character.

Paul Blyskal, a story analyst at Netflix, understands the concept from years of looking over material. “As far as what a script reader tends to look for, it’s tough to put into words. It’s something you start to feel after reading a few dozen to a few hundred screenplays. In general, you’re looking for a compelling idea and a story with a strong narrative drive… tension, surprise, and characters the viewer will care about.”

“People watch movies for two reasons,” said Sherry Hudak, actress/writer/producer at Reel Stories Real People. “They either need a temporary escape or a desire to feel connected and inspired. A good movie should take its audience on a journey to expand their minds and open their hearts to all the possibilities in life. It should explore different angles of the human condition and draw you in.”

Bruce Fretts, a contributor at The New York Times, said, “Any screenplay that has multiple lines of dialogue (‘Here’s looking at you, kid,’ ‘This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,’ ‘We’ll always have Paris,’ ‘Round up the usual suspects,’ ‘The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world,’ ‘I’m shocked to find out that gambling is going on,’ ‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine’) enter into the popular parlance—even if one of them, ‘Play it, Sam,’ is widely misquoted—has to be considered one of the greatest of all time. Also, the screenplay for Casablanca proved you don’t need to give audiences a traditional happy ending to create one of the most beloved romances in movie history.”

Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Lund)

“Casablanca is a great script because it was written on the fly,” said Stu Kreisman, Cheers writer, Warner Bros. producer, and columnist at The Huffington Post. “Nobody, including the actors, director, or writers knew how it would end until it was written days before it was shot.  The fact that the process was so muddled, and it turned out to be one of the classic films and scripts is astounding.”

While most appreciate Casablanca’s efforts, not everyone considers it to possess the silver screen magic that so many say — not enough to be regarded as the number one film, at least. The American Film Institute gives Citizen Kane that title, followed by The Godfather and Casablanca in third place. Interestingly, when the AFI List was first released in 1998, the slots of The Godfather and Casablanca were reversed, causing reason to suspect that the timeless facet is wearing off.

Scout Tafoya, a film critic for RoberEbert.com, holds this opinion. “It’s very good, but I don’t believe it’s the best screenplay ever written, and I think you’d basically have to find people who visit the TCM Cruise to find supporting evidence of the claim. It’s funny and romantic and clever, I think it’s lovely, but I think anyone who says it’s the greatest has about 300-400 more movies left to watch.”

“Casablanca is my second favorite movie after Citizen Kane. It captures man’s thirst for war, search for love, and man’s greed,” reflects Michael Selsman, industry veteran, producer, author of Lost on the Yellow Brick Road and former agent to Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Truman Capote, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Orson Welles. [The success] was a big surprise to Warner, He told me that when I was co-producing Dirty Little Billy, his first co-production after selling the studio. When Bonnie and Clyde became a hit, he was also gobsmacked.”

Film school professors teach their students to dissect the film and screenplay frame by frame, page by page, breaking down each act and their specifics. Although not always utilized, the three-act structure is standard for mapping out a screenplay – generally one page per minute of screen time. Koch and the Epstein brothers followed the traditional formula, harping on themes, dramatic conflict, a moving story arc and the internal and external goals of characters.

Beverly Neufeld, adjunct professor of screenwriting at USC, points out, “It speaks to anti-heroes, the times, a great love story without a happy ending, great characters and stakes.”

“Casablanca not only includes all genres within, but also redemption, inspiration, love, unity of the subdued people and much more,” explained author and UCLA Screenwriting alum Melodi Bac.

“As a writer, I know exactly why Casablanca occupies a special place in my heart. God help me, I’m an eternal optimist who believes it’s never too late for people to grow, evolve, and change. And that’s exactly what I think is so strong about Humphrey Bogart’s character of Rick Blaine. He basically starts off the movie saying, ‘I don’t help nobody.’ But by the end, he’s sacrificing everything to take on the Nazis. The way the Epstein Brothers, Howard Koch, and Casey Robinson crafted that character gives me hope every single time I watch the film. When writers feel the need to develop rich character arcs, Casablanca is a master class,” declares screenwriter, producer and USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Trey Callaway.

Casablanca transports the audience to a poignant depth unmatched by any love story told since. The beauty of Casablanca isn’t only the execution through the eyes of Curtz, but the words written on 127 white pages from fade in to fade out.

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[misterboho]

Dr. 2 goes to surgery with patient Scenes for a Green World at the Greenhouse Theater Center

Patient: Scenes for a Green World

Legal Guardian: Michael Brayndick

Surname: On the Spot Theatre Company

Address: 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60614

Insurance: Paperkutz

Symptoms: shroomy, bloomy, gloomy

Diagnosis: Alzheimers

"I meant to bring [my umbrella]. I guess I forgot that, too."  -- Dina

Operation Overview:

  When I had arrived at the surgery room, I was immediately impressed by the warm, metro stage. I love economical sets. The welcome was classy with the internment camp exhibit that exposed the play's tragedy. Well received, I sat pretty with my 10 dollar Malbec. It was actually nine dollars, but I tipped the bartender for opening the bottle: bravo.

  The patient's script was professionally refreshing. Consistently easy transitions and tasteful dialogue put most of my pet peeves on vacation. The writing for the extended sittings do not rot the characters into couch potatoes. I'm surprised the legal guardian could crank out a stationary but engaging piece of two acts. I began to grow upset, however, when the third hour came around; I was wondering if I should exeunt to put more money in the parking meter. The meandering needed a generous slice with the scalpel.

  The actors are the main source of disconcertment. Ginger Leopoldo as Hiroko was animated, clear, but disconnected from her lines. She was so unattuned that she stilted the performance with a nonstop cheerful and conventional tone that derailed from the sobriety. She was darling, picturesque, and well picked for the optimistic Hiroko, but an inability to steer these virtues led to an overcompensation that eviscerated the script's poignant points. With half of Hiroko missing, the whole play's live depth sank.

  The patient's writing shone through the soliloquys. Hiroko's first love and Dina's savior mushrooms were succinct stories in themselves. Liliana Mitchell was more faithful in bringing trauma to life authentically, but even she shared the occasional flaw of being unable to frown at critical times while discussing Dina's sad past. While one could say this was the disposition of their characters as battered women projecting defense mechanisms through smiles, I focused on the actors' delivery and remain unimpressed.

  Even with these mortal wounds, the ladies were identical with their characters. Ms. Leopoldo always succeeded as the supportive sweetheart and Ms. Mitchell always hit the high note as a crisp Jewish woman. The both of them are sincerely strong women; this was my initial vibe of the play. I couldn't think of more exact models for Brayndick's dyad.

  The kiddies were cute. Osamu was a stud via James Macapagal; he was always a smooth operator. Emma Brayndick was an inverted edition of Leopoldo and Mitchell: her tragedy was touching but her comedy didn't reach the roof. While she containted 90% good energy, she lacked the 10% zinger that Sadie's lines demanded. Her brief moment of stage fighting was so flat that it dried out the rest of my Malbec.

  The story was a success; I understood the tone, but it felt like it was lacking more drama or one more subplot, especially for the brute length. The children got along almost too easily and the mommies hardly put up a fight. The side story, thus, contained little resistance. A heavier background plot and sharper actors would bring this garden to life with a four star health rating, but for now, remains at a three star health rating.