The Outgoing Tide Review | Teen Ink

The Outgoing Tide Review

May 28, 2011
By Anonymous

This play was very simple. There were only 3 actors, no music, 1 scene throughout, and few props. The main character was Gunner (John Mahoney, the old guy in the TV show Frasier) an old man struggling with the effects of Alzheimer’s. His son Jack (Thomas J. Cox) comes to visit his dad and his mom Peg (Rondi Reed). The beginning was kind of comical. At first, Gunner doesn’t even recognize his own son. Gunner repeatedly forgot things or people and says or does strange things. At one point he asks his wife to make pancakes, then a minute later he asks again, and throughout the play he asks for pancakes. In one scene, he walks into one room then comes back a minute latter without pants and has no idea how he lost them. But most of the humor was for old people. About 80 percent of the crowd was over 60 year old. This was surprising because the play had to do with an old person struggling with a debilitating mental illness for seniors. My mom said that I was probably the youngest person there and she was probably the second youngest. After the intermission I thought it took a turn for the worst. The plot turned dark and was, in my opinion, boring. They had to decide, let Gunner live the rest of his life struggling every day and being a burden for his wife and son, or let him commit suicide and be at peace while he can still make the decision (And also collect his insurance money). It raises a very thought provoking argument, the characters have to take sides. Jack supports Gunner and Peg is initially opposed to it. The ending was very predictable and obvious from the start. I thought this play was okay but could have been worse. The acting was excellent, the plot was okay. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.


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