REVIEW: Fallen Saints
October 4, 2018
REVIEW: Fallen Saints
We all have fears that follow us throughout life. These fears can feed our anxieties which grow and take over our lives, or hide in the shadows….waiting to appear and hit us out of nowhere. This sudden surge of anxiety and fear is showcased in a disquieting play entitled “Fallen Saints: Dark”, by Force of Nature Productions.
The play’s pre-show begins as a haunted house experience. One of the characters leads you into an attic setting, where you are surrounded by memories of the past such as family mementos and photos. These artifacts are lit by a spectral light which bathes the room in blood red illuminations. The atmosphere in the attic is very haunting and melancholic, setting the tone for the fears which will be conjured during the play’s performance.
Once inside the theater, the play begins and you witness the actors facing their own personal nightmares accompanied by their deepest fears. Subjects such as rape, molestation, and other themes of violence and abuse are all confronted (making this not suitable for anyone who will be easily triggered by these themes). After the play you exit through the attic, where the actors hang like lifeless marionettes from invisible strings in a nod to last year’s play "Fallen Saints: Dia de los Muertos".
Fallen Saints: Dark was initially created by Andy Shultz and Sebastian Muñoz, however the script was developed through a collaboration with the play’s actors in order to include ideas which reflected personal experiences. The actors really poured their hearts into their performances, as evident in the discussion which followed the play. During the discussion, one actor shared that he was able to overcome his fear of being shirtless in public thanks to his performance in the play.
In this third year of production for the Halloween season, Force of Nature Productions has proven that they don’t fear pushing the boundaries of content and creativity in order to offer a chilling theater experience. While this year’s performance touches on themes that are not comfortable for some, there are breaks which offer a respite through comic relief. Fallen Saints: Dark is an experience which makes evident the collaborative relationship between the writers and performers, who together present a very personal experience which hopefully helps the audience to feel less alone with the traumas they may have experienced.
VC
October 4, 2018
Hauntsofla.com
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