Detectives (also) (again)

Hannah and Vicky both didn't quite like Detectives as much as Victims, and although I'd have to agree, I think there were several things that this play did differently than the first one we saw, things which gave the overall story a series of interesting twists. It seems that the order in which one was intended to see the plays was never specified, as the scheduling on the back of the programs indicated that they were preformed on some days with Victims followed by Detectives, and the opposite on other days.

A number of scenes from Victims crossed over into this play, although literally from a different perspective, one wherein the audience was on the opposite side of the action. This made me remember what we talked about in class regarding the events and scenes of a play being like windows from which to view the broader story beyond the events themselves, and in Detectives the audience was shown things from the view of Andi Summers, a character who appeared infrequently in Victims. The program also indicates that the showing we saw actually had a "special alternate ending," which was quite a bit different from the ending of Victims, and really only served to confuse me more about the actual nature of the story.

On the topic of confusion, I realize now, reflecting on both plays, that I barely understand what actually occurred. It seemed like the director(s) and/or playwright(s) often wanted to have deliberately odd or confusing events, ones that might allow the audience to form their own beliefs about what had happened, but an abundance of such abstractions only made me wonder what pastries have to do with murder, demons, and fiery apocalypses.