Review: FALLING: A WAKE Questions Everything

It is hard to fathom how a one act play lasting only around one hour can stir up so many thoughts and emotions. It is hard to wrap your head around all of the feelings and questions contained in that short amount of time. It is almost more than I can tell you about in writing. You kind of have to experience it for yourself.

For quite some time I have tried to see FALLING: A WAKE. This cast has staged it in several different venues in the past year. But somehow my time was always booked up or I was out of town. But this time I was available and I am so glad I was.

FALLING: A WAKE was staged this weekend at Samford University's Christenberry Planetarium. The dome of stars was the perfect setting for a play set outside on a cold night in Canada. I am not sure if the planetarium was actually cold or if the actors just made me feel that way, but I felt as if I was right there with them the whole time.

Expertly acted by Jamie Lawrence as Harold and Ellise Pruitt Mayor as Elsie, FALLING: A WAKE is the story of a plane crash, a loving yet troubled couple, and all of the questions that we have about life, love, when to let go and if there is more to life than what we see each day. Does life happen randomly or is there a plan? Does fate exist? Is there a God?

Both Lawrence and Mayor portray their characters with humor and a comfortable love that most couples aspire to. Harold's caring for Elsie is charming and Elsie's thoughtfulness toward Harold and their "guest" was endearing.

Both Harold and Elsie are covering up a story that is slowly revealed as the play goes on. It makes the whole story come full circle and at the end, made everyone in the crowd have tears in their eyes.

Written by Gary Kirkham, this work is humorous (he dubs it a "comedy...kinda.") and yet one of the most poignant and touching pieces I have ever seen.

What I loved most was that it wasn't a "hit you over the head" funny or "hit you over the head" sad story. It was what real life is, constantly changing, often both sad and funny at the same time, and always creeping up on us, hitting us hard when we least expect it.

When do you give up, when do you move on, what do you believe happens to us when we die, are we still here, are we gone, is there nothing?

The tag line of the show is "Nothing never happens, Something is always happening." That is certainly true in this show. Although there are moments of silence and moments of what would seem to be nothing, there is always something being felt, being thought and being lived. For an actor, much less for two, to be so in sync, so real and so intense made for a night of theatre that is not to be missed.

Although this is the only weekend to see it in this unusual venue, I hope that there will soon be more opportunities to see this outstanding work from playwright Gary Kirkham and actors Jamie Lawrence and Ellise Pruitt Mayor. It is truly a not to be missed experience.

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