Mad Forest

Pittsburgh City Paper: There are always two emotions running side by side whenever I see a Caryl Churchill play. And the Carnegie Mellon Drama production of Mad Forest, her examination of the 1989 Romanian revolution, is no exception.
The first reaction is always shame. Churchill is blessed with one of the most awesome intellects of the 20th century, and with each play she drives herself and the audience to use every bit of comprehension we have. Meanwhile, I use what little intelligence I've got left on things like crossword puzzles and movie magazines.
My second, and overbidding, emotion is sheer awe. Churchill's vision of what theater can be is as broad as it is deep. Mad Forest isn't just a play about the Romania revolution and the dispatch of the Ceauşescus -- like that's not enough. It's also an examination into how theater can be used to tell a story.