Review: The NIGHT OF THE ASSASSINS overwhelm at Brookfield Theatre Of The Arts

The best part of reviewing shows is that I have the opportunity to see shows that I have never heard of before: going into a theater and not knowing what to expect brings an excitement that is hard to beat, especially when the show ends up blowing you away. I entered Brookfield Theater to see Night of the Assassins, a play by José Triana and translated by Kevin Dreyer, knowing nothing except that it was a cast of three and a warning from the director, Tony Bosco-Schmidt, in the Director's Note that I "would not be going home tonight singing a cute little ditty, feeling good about the world around you." With that in mind, I settled in for what promised to be an intense afternoon; an intensity that surpassed all expectations.

It didn't take long for the cast to impart on the audience just how wild of a trip they were on, as we quickly established the three siblings- Lalo (Sean Latasa), Cuca (Morgana Kate Watson), and Beba (Lizzy Booth)- and the power structure between them, before completely pulling a 180 on who was really in charge. This balance of power continued to evolve as the play progressed, with characters seemingly breaking at times before rising up and taking command. The argument driving the experience: How to murder their parents. Through games of roleplay, moments of reflection, and impressive monologues of length I've never seen, the audience finds themselves playing catch up, just how Triana wanted.

Obviously, in an emotional roller coaster such as this, the lynchpin of its effectiveness rests on the actors. The emotional range of Lizzy's, whose Beba went from panic attacks to ruthless on a recurring basis, was matched by the intensity of Morgana's Cuca, whose calculating discipline was often broken by Lalo's aggression; A feat upon itself as Sean physically launches from violent rage to a cowering child as he relives his trauma. This doesn't include the physicality required to portray a variety of other characters, such as their parents, neighbors, members of law enforcement, and even a judge and lawyer, as the three reenact their pasts and project on the future. Smattered between the roleplay and conflict, the trio also launch from monologue to monologue as they divulge their innermost feelings to an overwhelmed audience.

I choose that word, "overwhelmed", carefully. As a theatergoer who loves to be challenged, overwhelmed is an emotion that I gladly experience in a production such as this, but it is worth noting that, for some, this play could be too much. Despite the beautifully colorful language used- a testament to the work of both Triana and Dreyer- and the spectacular direction of the director, Bosco-Schmidt- who had to walk that delicate line between inspiring the intensity of the action with the safety and health of his cast- there is no point in denying that Night of the Assassins is a lot. And it is long. With a runtime nearing two hours, it requires as much from the audience as it does from the cast. For those with the ability to carry this intensity, however, the payoff is tenfold as I, in fact, did not go home singing a cute little ditty, but rather left speechless at the talent on and off the stage at the Brookfield Theatre of the Arts.

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