RI dramafeste

After a passable GP test, decided on a whim to watch RI dramafeste. $3. And well worth the money I say.
First up, was BB's play on how a son tries to cope with his jailbird father's suicide with the assistance of his psychiatrist friend. I missed part of it as I came late (asking some RI backstage crew for directions). The storytelling was linear and interjected with flashbacks and retrieved memories. In fact, the play ended with a flashback. The acting, while passable, wasn't remarkable and the characters were not well fleshed out. A decent but unfortunately, forgettable play which left little impact on me.
Second, was HH's Before Patient 1; it was on the choice of an estranged son to treat his ailing father, who had walked out on his family and indirectly caused his son to have a permanent limp. The cast of about 9 people was did a wonderful job holding the play together as everyone seemed perfectly suited to their roles: The remorseless and obstinate crippled son, the 2 earnest and competitive medical students, the troubled second son etc. The emotional tension was balanced evenly with welcome moments of dark humor. Didn't quite understand the loosely used medical terminology though. The relevation that the example the doctor was using to teach his students a lesson in medical ethics was actually himself was subtly hidden and slowly unveiled. It was the best of the 3 plays (with MT's following close behind), in my opinion.
Third and last was MT's Because, a tragic retelling of how a mother's death results in a rift between a father and his increasingly mentally disturbed son. (Misery,death and despair...seems to be a common thread in plays). Towards the end, the story lapsed into predictable plus a tad melodramatic cliches and in a move reminiscent of Medea's, concludes with the father shooting his son in an act of mercy. The acting of the cast was more pronounced than that of BB's but slightly weaker than HH's. The co-ordination of lights and the haunting music certainly set and sustained the brooding, melancholic mood of the entire play. I especially liked the 3 "voices in the head". Clad in black and faces painted with white makeup, they sinously prowled around the tormented son, whispering and hissing their insidious poison. I'm not sure how BW's and MR's play will be like and I'm not intending to watch them tomorrow. Think I'll ask Jordan about the plots. As of now, I would like to think MT stands a good chance of winning Best Ensemble or Best Play but things could change tomorrow...