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Hunter (Anna Van Valin), a law student with an active social life and a plan for the future, seems to be the more grounded of the two. On the other hand, there is Bets (Taylor Shurte), who passes her days in self-confinement within the walls of their tiny Chicago apartment, blogging about death metal bands and the glories of communism. Their lives are in a delicate balance that is starting to come undone as Hunter discusses her plans for relocating to Cincinnati and a well-paying job at a law firm, while Bets is dealing with fears engendered by an anonymous online death threat. Hunter brushes off Bets's agitated state as yet another of her friend's dramatic overreactions, until the blood-smeared window and the dead squirrel convince her otherwise. As the two struggle with these increasingly creepy episodes, their conversations turn to decisions and choices they each have made, with revelations about pasts that evoke the Sylvia Plath reference. We also briefly meet Hunter's boyfriend Robbie (David Register), who has driven up from Philadelphia for a surprise visit that turns sour in the wake of Hunter's lack of commitment and her failure to mention to him that she plans to take off for Ohio. Neither Hunter nor Bets is equipped to handle the growing stresses, and the psychological and physical threats they are forced to face leave us wondering how long either of them can hold on as events spiral out of control. The play's strengths lie in the sharp and often overlapping dialog that caroms between ironic humor and bleakness, painting a picture of a friendship that is tinged with co-dependence. But even at 75 minutes, and despite solid performances by the cast under Ben Ferber's direction and eye for detail, things stretch on for too long. The appearance of Robbie is dramatically superfluous, and while the ending may be inevitable for one of the central characters, the other is left in a sketchy holding pattern that leaves things feeling implausibly unfinished.
Not Afraid
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