Icarus's Mother and Action Review

Trinity University's first production of the semester is a collection of two Sam Shepard plays--Icarus's Mother and Action. The two plays are a step out of the box for Trinity productions considering the play lacks basic plot structure and a lack of character development. The plays seem to be receiving mixed reviews. Although the set is phenomenal, the directing is up to par, and the acting (for the most part) is above excellent, the audience seems to be having mixed feelings. My personal reaction to the first play was hesitant at first. Icarus's Mother is about a group of friends, out celebrating the Fourth of July. By the end of the play, the characters have watched a plane crash and it is also to be believed that they are now in the middle of an apocalypse. The long, intense monologues seem to fall a little flat in the first show, and the overall theme of the play seemed to be a little vague. Maybe this was Sam Shepard's point? Either way, I think it went a little over my head. Action, however, was an incredible experience. While Icarus's Mother takes place pre-apocalypse, Action is a story of four characters post-apocalypse. Although Action made just as little sense to me as Icarus's Mother did, Action seemed to clearly capture the crisis and confusion that is to be expected in this situation. I was moved by all four characters. They existed in the space of a broken down house together, as an ensemble. No actor tried to hog the spotlight, and each character seemed to be listening to one another. Overall, they were completely in the moment, and I was right there with them. I felt as thought I was in this strange space with them, and when the time came to take their bows, they did them in character. I thought this action was an appropriate choice; to fall out of character so quickly in that show would have been disappointing. So should you go see this play this weekend? I highly recommend it. If Icarus's Mother falls a little short of what you were expecting, Action makes up for it completely.