The Woolgatherer: A Play In Two Acts

A downer of a play about a budding relationship between a woman who works in a Five and Dime and a man who drives a truck and crosses her path for a day. There are some interesting things in here, but the relationship is developed in such a way that a beginning drama class would know to ask "Why?" Why in the world did they get together in the first place? Why did either one of them stay as long as they did? Why should I care? The characters are not likable, and it is difficult to have any degree of sympathy with either of them, though it might be possible had the author chosen to develop the plot or the characters more fully. The confusion of what is really happening and why is not the good kind of confusion of the absurdists, but nor show more is it the totally bad kind of confusion of a hack writer. It is just...puzzling and offputting. I wish I could like this play, but I can't say I did. show less

"The Woolgatherer" is one of the only plays I can recall where I didn't want it to end, but I was definitely relieved when it did. The first act is hilarious, without being a full out comedy; the second act is almost pathetic in comparison. The concessions the characters willingly make in the second half seem pulled out of thin air - their final relationship was a complete surprise given the very little lead up and potential dead end the first act gave us.

I was a crane in this play. Crane like the bird. Yeah... I know the script doesn't call for one. It was a college production, what can I say? In any case, I think it is a very sad story, well worth the read (or the see, if you can).

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