echoBOOM

echoBOOM is a play about a school shooting and my generation. Of course, after hearing about all the controversy surrounding it, I wanted to go see it for myself. Though I could definitely see why it would be very offensive to some people, I just laughed, and though I wanted to like it, I really can't say I did. It was just alright.

Visually it was very interesting and cool, but the rest was just... eh. One of the visual highlights was the color lighted background and blackout that made the actors look like they were part of one of the iconic ipod commercial. Another was the actors actually playing the part of crosses burning and glowing in the dark with their neon black light colors. It was very appealing to the current generation and our fixation on pictures and color, as it was supposed to be. But aside from the cool contemporary/minimalistic setting, the plot was just a fucked up modern day Antigone... it just didn't do it for me. As I was watching the play unfold I kept on saying to myself "This is all really familiar... what is it?" and it wasn't until the part where the antagonist was thrown in prison and broadcast around the world live via webcam (yeah I know) that i really realized. After that I would just think "On no they just didn't!" I've even deduced that the Jesus character, who sells drugs to the kids, cusses, and snorts cocaine himself, is supposed to be Tireasias blinded by drugs instead of actually being blind. If that sounds lame, it's because it is.

I mean, I get the point of it and I get the themes, and they're all really relevant and important.... I just don't like how it was done. It just seems like one of those things that sounds good on paper, one of those good ideas, but once it's played out, it's not that great.