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brennanlafaro's review
5.0
I feel obligated to preface this by saying I’m not in the habit of reading plays, or even screenplays, but everything I’ve read with Mark Steensland’s name on has been of the highest quality. In the Scrape with James Newman? One of the best coming-of-age stories 2019 had to offer. Jimmy the Freak with Charles Colyott? A unique ode to Steinbeck that hits hard right in the feels. Needless to say, regardless of format, I was really excited to dive into The Deception of Kathryn Vask.
We’re thrown straight into a dramatic moment, finding out right away that Kathryn lost her son Timothy some months ago, blames herself, and is having a lot of difficulties coming to terms with the loss. Her husband, Jonathan is portrayed as relatively cold and indifferent. There is a bit of stage direction and description later on, but Act I is almost entirely dialogue driven, and Steensland does a fantastic job in this medium letting us get to know the main characters.
I’ll go relatively light on plot here because discovery is the bulk of the joy. Most of the set up revolves around the family’s priest helping Kathryn and Jonathan set up a seance to commune with Timothy so that Kathryn can receive forgiveness and find some peace. While Act I gives us backstory and characterization beautifully, Act II moves along at a breakneck speed and really subverts a lot of expectations that the reader/audience member might have.
I’m utilizing my imagination here, but Steensland has crafted a very nice balance of events that I believe could be achieved using modest practical effects. One of the benefits of writing prose is that budgetary constraints can go out the window, however a writer drafting a play doesn’t quite have those same freedoms. Steensland has a lot going on in Act II to keep the audience on their toes, but won’t give the backstage crew fits. Again, I would throw out there that I am the furthest thing from an expert regarding converting the script of a play to the real thing, but these are all thoughts I had as I read and brought the production to life in my mind.
I immensely enjoyed the ride that Mark Steensland took my imagination on in The Deception of Kathryn Vask. Rich characters, great dialogue, and the ability to keep the audience guessing until the curtain drops make this a success in my mind, and I sincerely hope that I get a chance at some juncture to see this play come to fruition.
We’re thrown straight into a dramatic moment, finding out right away that Kathryn lost her son Timothy some months ago, blames herself, and is having a lot of difficulties coming to terms with the loss. Her husband, Jonathan is portrayed as relatively cold and indifferent. There is a bit of stage direction and description later on, but Act I is almost entirely dialogue driven, and Steensland does a fantastic job in this medium letting us get to know the main characters.
I’ll go relatively light on plot here because discovery is the bulk of the joy. Most of the set up revolves around the family’s priest helping Kathryn and Jonathan set up a seance to commune with Timothy so that Kathryn can receive forgiveness and find some peace. While Act I gives us backstory and characterization beautifully, Act II moves along at a breakneck speed and really subverts a lot of expectations that the reader/audience member might have.
I’m utilizing my imagination here, but Steensland has crafted a very nice balance of events that I believe could be achieved using modest practical effects. One of the benefits of writing prose is that budgetary constraints can go out the window, however a writer drafting a play doesn’t quite have those same freedoms. Steensland has a lot going on in Act II to keep the audience on their toes, but won’t give the backstage crew fits. Again, I would throw out there that I am the furthest thing from an expert regarding converting the script of a play to the real thing, but these are all thoughts I had as I read and brought the production to life in my mind.
I immensely enjoyed the ride that Mark Steensland took my imagination on in The Deception of Kathryn Vask. Rich characters, great dialogue, and the ability to keep the audience guessing until the curtain drops make this a success in my mind, and I sincerely hope that I get a chance at some juncture to see this play come to fruition.
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