Two children meet in the school nurse’s office; each is unique in their own way, and their lifelong friendship starts with Gruesome Playground Injuries.
~Review and Photos by Dana Nöllsch~
More about “Gruesome Playground Injuries”
Over the period of 30 years, Gruesome Playground Injuries takes a look at Kayleen and Doug’s relationship in random, unordered intervals. These two meet in grade school when they both end up in the nurse’s office for different reasons. This meeting marks the start of their tumultuous but powerful friendship.
Over the next 30 years, Kayleen and Doug come in and out of each other’s lives at odd times in their lives. We see their powerful relationship being strained and at times resisted, but they always find each other again, usually as one of them is going through a rough patch.
Gruesome Playground Injuries is indeed a romantic comedy, brilliantly written and full of passion. It is a bit dark and contains foul language, but it is very funny, the kind of funny that leaves you laughing and thinking, “Should I be laughing at this?”
What about the Performances
The performances by Libby Schipper and Jonathan Castelo are among the best I have seen from either of them on stage, and both are very talented. Their chemistry shows throughout the entire play, never wavering and always expressing the feelings and emotions that their characters have for each other.
The Bottom Line
Gruesome Playground Injuries is wonderfully dark, funny, and will trigger introspection. I found myself rooting for these two to find the common ground that they could hold onto, and perhaps they do; that is why you should go see Gruesome Playground Injuries.
More than that, the performances are stellar, and the intimate atmosphere at Restless Artists Theatre adds to this deep, intimate story of two people who find each other, lose each other, and then find each other again over the course of a lifetime.
And That’s the Bottom Line!
Gruesome Playground Injuries
Directed by D.A. Mishler
Cast
Kayleen played by Libby Schipper
Doug played by Jonathan Gastelo
Performance Dates
August 28th through September 7th
Purchase tickets here: cur8.com
Restless Artists Theatre Company
295 20th Street, Sparks
775 525-3074
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