You ever had not a mind fuck, but a mind explosion?! If not, let me define it for you: it’s when your mind is so overcome with thoughts from thrilling, maybe even unreal, things that it feels like your brain is cracking and ready to burst into a million pieces from the intensity of these thoughts. That’s what happened to me at “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”
Now is this production somewhat of a money grab for Netflix and their undeniably fantastic series? Oh absolutely. The script by Kate Trefry has some nice tie-ins and surprises that match up very well with the series line, but some of it does feel a little forced, kinda shaky especially within the second act, and maybe a little questionable for super fans of the show who follow the timeline with meticulous precision (I’ve only just finished the current 4 seasons, so the timeline’s all still fresh in mind), but it’s nothing to shoot hate at. And Stephen Daldry does what he can in terms of what this script has to offer him, but the staging feels like all rise and no hills and valleys (at least from my perspective). But, let’s be honest, you come to this show for two things.
The first: the effects and illusions, and that’s where your mind’s gonna blow up! I will not give anything away about what goes on inside the Marquis, but let’s say you’re gonna be spending hours after the curtains wondering to yourself, “Is any of this real?” “Am I dreaming?” “You can’t do that onstage!” “Who can I bribe behind the scenes to tell me how all this is done?” This design team won their Tonies for a reason, and how they all worked hand in hand to create this visual experience for the eyes is a feat that deserves a standing ovation of its own accord.
Second: Louis McCartney. You’ll be left speechless after you see this young man leave it all out on the stage floor in an utterly dynamic, beautifully blood curdling, physically demanding, emotionally visceral, verging-on-psychopathy performance! He hooks you the minute he steps onstage, all the way to the play’s final breath. You wanna talk about a future star in the making, this guy is going places and we should all be filled with excitement for what’s in store for this firecracker of a performer!
American Theatre is growing quite envious of our friends across the pond. I know I am as an artist. The fact that you can create all of this, that you can find more ways to make the impossible possible, is astonishing and deserves all the high praise it's gotten and is gonna get by future theatergoers and future theatre makers. Let this production be a shining example of what it means to keep on being creative and to always be tearing down preconceived notions that nothing can be pulled off that seems or is impractical.
Even if it's not the strongest play l've ever seen in my life, I will always look to this play as a reminder to keep being creative, keep dreaming, and keep on believing the magic of life theatre.
