diverting devotion

Diverting Devotion is like a relationship roller coaster from hell. The inevitable heartbreak is excruciating. From beginning to end, the entire play was a train wreck of emotions, crashing at such an astonishing rate that once things start to turn sour it becomes a sucker punch to the face. The final scenes played out like a little world of every love story gone awry. It was endearing to hear comments from the audience when I was collecting my jacket, which weren't specifically about the performances or the play but about themselves. As in, "Oh my god, I was Pete in high school!” Or "I was Carol! I freaked out on my ex-boyfriend before and etc. etc.”

There was something about this play that demonstrated relationship trauma, and somehow it relates to your reality. You watch the play, admire each character and think, "that was me. That is me." It just goes to show you that a marvelous cast (a cast compiled of mostly UNH students, no less!) can reach an audience with a great play, even if the story itself is loaded with tension and social strife.  That is something I enjoy to experience at theatrical events. I want to feel connected with the piece, understand the relationships between the characters and somehow relate the message of the story to my own life. Fortunately, the cast of Diverting Devotion delivered the play masterfully, even if they held their scripts in hand (and one actor in particular dropped it only once throughout the performance)in a distracting manner.