An Infinite Ache

by David Shulner

Book by David Schulner

Genres: Plays, Theatre

72 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be dating myself, but this is basically an updating of the old play The Fourposter (aka as the musical I Do! I Do!), with the gimmick of the scenes transitioning time-wise from line to line with no scene breaks. The problem I had is that neither character is particularly likeable, and nothing (even such drastic and potentially dramatic issues as the death of a child or adultery) is covered in much depth. It also comes precariously close to being schmaltzy in places. Still it has some good scene and monologue material in it (and it's nice that it calls specifically for an Asian actress and a Jewish actor, so provides some diversity), so not a total disaster.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore the concept, and at times it is executed very well. There is just something in the writing that holds this play back for me. I am also uncomfortable with a White male playwright writing an Asian female love interest as it reads as disingenuous and sometimes stereotypical. That being said, this play has a lot to say about the nature of relationships; at times it is told beautifully and at other times it is clunky. Every other page I’d find writing I love, and in between I’d find writing that I didn’t quite love. Overall, a mixed bag. It is worth a read for how interestingly time is played with in the play, but I wish it was done better (or at least slightly more to my personal tastes — this is all subjective after all). I’ve been reading a lot of two-person plays, and this is not one I’d super recommend. There are better two handlers out there. Also, if you’re looking for a well-written Asian woman, you might want to seek plays written by Asian women and not White men.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Shulner's script is a very interesting story all about the relationship between two people, Hope and Charles. Without any breaks or clear indications of a change in time, the story moves to different time periods in the relationship. The reader will witness the struggles of their marriage, including the loss of a baby and adultery, and their eventual reunion. I really enjoyed this story because it had very dramatic elements tied with funny moments. However, I did not like how Charles felt about love. His views were honest, but they made me feel less able to connect with him as a character. He was sometimes unlikable. Overall, I had never really read anything like this before, so I enjoyed the originality in which the story was presented.

[Dave Logghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this play does something really interesting with the way it handles time. The entire play is one continuous scene, but there are onstage transitions between large chunks of time. One character might be packing a bag to leave, and then they'll be unpacking because they've just arrived home. Some of these transitions were really impressively written, but the rapid pace of the whole thing made it impossible for me to really sit and process everything going on. So I feel like the time gimmick kind of weakens the play while also being a fairly interesting spectacle. I would have liked a little more depth to the characters before "things" start occurring, but that's just personal preference.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love love it! We put this on as a small show my freshman year - all frosh involved, 2 person cast. They made me cry on the very first read-through, so I can only assume it's as objectively heartbreaking as I think it is. Requires many deductive skills to understand the timeline if you're just reading it, as he does not give away the time jumps like you might hope. But see it if you can. Awesome.

[Ana-Catrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, man, this play is so well-written. I was literally crying on page 44. I highly recommend to anyone planning to read it to do it in one sitting. No intermission...

[Rosalind Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this play! I have worked crew for several productions of it. It inspired me to write an epic love story. :)