Gruesome Playground Injuries @ Wooly Mammoth

This week is apparently theatre week. Thursday was day 2, the venue was the Wooly Mammoth on D & 7th NW, the play was Gruesome Playground Injuries. Once again, I have to say the sets are very well done. They completely reconfigured the set from their last play to make this production in the round, the stage, the rounded rectangle of an old hockey rink.

The two actors did all their costume changes just off the stage at make shift lockers and a sink set up within the round, accompanied by scene shifting rock music, and occasional dancing and emotional outbursts. Each scene was introduced on the scoreboard over the rink with the age of the characters as this play jumps around in time. I thought the characters were pretty well acted, each having a chance to play themselves across a thirty year horizon starting in early childhood. These are definately extreme personalities, not really meant to be taken as realistic in that they hopefully will not remind you of your friend or neighbor. That said, I thought that I could identify with them so for me, it worked.

The story itself was a very uncharacteristic romantic dramedy where all cliches are thrown out the window. No spoilers here, but I think it is fair to say that the story here is about two people who are much healthier together, but are continuously challenged by the self-imposed obstacles of getting together. I think this is another winner from this company, fast becoming my favorite for their irreverence and originality.