Population 8

<-- Promotional card handed out before the show. Same with the other picture below(Do NOT OWN)

Sorry that this took so long to post. I have been super swamped this past week trying to get everything ready for school, so I hope that you all forgive me.

A couple of days ago I had the wonderful opportunity to head to the Big Apple and see a play, Population 8, written by SoGoPro's very own Nicholas Gray. Now I knew that this play would be wonderful and that Nick wouldn't let the audience down. Needless to say it was magnificent, touching, and hilarious! Well worth the wait after hearing about it for so long. The writing was pure genius.

The play was about the lives of the last 8 residents in the small town of Loki, North Dakota. It started off with two of the residents Man and Ugly going to change the population sign from 9 to 8 people left in Loki due to one of the residents going missing, Jacob. The Characters of the play are quite fascinating. There is Man who is currently dating Ugly and is completely in love with her, he is also the town doctor. I must admit I felt sorry for his character, it just seemed like he was Jacob's replacement to Ugly. She never thought of having a future with Man. Ugly is the former lover of Jacob, is very opinionated and will tell you exactly how she feels. Throughout the story you could tell that she was just using Man and that only saw what was between them as a fling. Although I thought that it was completely adorable how at the end Ugly finally accepts Man into her heart and they end up getting married and having a child. Sylvie, who is would say is the town elder, they show her talking to a man named Leo (who I believe is her dead husband).Then there is Ruth who is completely against anyone leaving Loki, which becomes a problem at some point in the play. Cree is married to Ruth and is the more laid back of the two, he is all for their children Frankie, Pepper, and McCoy leaving Loki and exploring the world. I would also say that he is more or so the voice of reason, the conscience of Loki. Frankie who has got to be my favorite character works at the local radio station and likes to read old letters. He is just full of energy and charisma, Not to mention has a little bit of a crush on Ugly. Pepper also works at the radio station singing, she wants to get out of Loki to become and actress and see the world. Jesse comes in later on in the play and he's Peppers boyfriend/husband/baby daddy buy the end of the play. Finally there is McCoy. McCoy had to have been the most emotional character of the play. He's deaf and at one point Cree talks to him about getting a cochlear implant so that he can finally hear, but later on in the play McCoy tells his father that he doesn't need an implant to hear. He hears everything in his own way. For instance he describes how Pepper's voice is like chrismas day, he called Ugly a silly word but I can't remember it. That had to have been one of my favorite parts. Its was moving and funny all at the same time.

There really isn't a bad thing that I could say about this play, maybe some unanswered questions. For instance What happened to everyone after they were all forced to leave by the government. Is Jacob really dead or is he alive somewhere in world. You never really find out, in the beginning of the story you think that he has just gone missing. Later on they all get a letter from some mental hospital saying that he was there and alive. Then once Ugly and Man get to the hospital Jacob is no where to be found. I guess its one of those things that's left to the imagination. Ugly had said once that even though Jacob had been with her, he still felt alone. I'd like to hope that Jacob us alive somewhere and isn't lonely anymore. See I'm all for a close ended story. This story was left open for the world to make of what happened to the characters on our own. Which is good, its just that it dives me nuts not knowing...ya know. I like to know what happens to everyone once the story has played itself out. Still Loved the play none the less.

Some of my favorite moments of the play is where Frankie and Man go to the population sign to change it once again and they find a letter. Frankie goes absolutely ballistic and says "Please let me read the letter, letters are my life!" It was the funniest thing, because Frankie had fallen to his knees and was begging for Man to hand over the letter. Another moment was when Frankie and Ugly are alone and Ugly starts coming on to Frankie, she kisses him and Frankie goes "I am to aroused for this." That made me laugh so hard...haha. I encourage all to go and see this play. It is moving, hysterical, sad, suspenseful and mysterious. That seems like a pretty good combination to me! Go See Population 8 :)

Nick should be so proud of his work. I only wish that it was running longer than just in the fringe festival. The theatre that it was played in was so adorable.At first I pictured a Broadway stage, because I had never been to the SOHO Playhouse, in the end I was glad that they chose this place. I really enjoyed being so close to everyone, it felt that no matter where you sat you were right there with the actors on stage. They couldn't have chosen a better venue than the SOHO Playhouse.

Congrats Nicholas Gray!
On a job well done!

XoXo
Kait