Hell, MT

If one were moved to make a prediction about art and how it follows life, one
could do worse than to suggest that, for the next year or so, we’re going to
see a lot of plays about isolation and being trapped alone. Hell, MT (produced
by “Dream Team Productions”) takes a rather interesting approach to this. When
Mallory wakes up in a strange house filled with all her earthly possessions,
she discovers that she is in hell — or rather, Hell. The rules are simple:
she has all the comforts of home, a never-ending supply of everything she
needs, but if she ever leaves the house it’s all gone forever. Unsurprisingly,
it doesn’t take her to go a bit stir-crazy, and she is coming close to losing
her last grip on reality when there’s a knock at the door.

The 80-minute production is an interesting take on isolation, life, death, and
whether hell truly is other people. There are some moments, particularly early
on in the production, when it isn’t quite finding its tone, but it does settle
in. The romance, when it comes, feels a bit forced, as if out of obligation rather
than organically occurring. Further, the character of “Angel” is given a
stilted, sing-song delivery that seems to be meant to evoke Siri and others of
her kind, but does not quite work here. Overall, however, the characters are
well-drawn and portrayed with wit and charisma. There’s definitely more than a
hint of Beckett, but with a rather more optimistic note at the end.