The Man in the Ring is the Man of the Hour

"The Man in the Ring" covered so much ground, it is hard for me to even begin this post. The play in it's entirety was absolutely amazing and I give so much credit to the actors for pulling the emotion through it so well. Going into this play, I did not have any expectations and assumed that the emotion of the play wouldn't have gotten through to me very well based on the fact that it was just a college level play. However, I was very wrong.

The play covered heavy topics such as rape, dementia, and abuse, and did so in a manner that was effective and not controversial. To me, one of the most striking scenes was when Luis brought Emile home for the first time. It revealed a truth about Emile that we had not seen before, while also showing the many unfortunate events that were soon to follow. With the emotions and connection that was within this scene, it felt uncomfortable to watch and added several questions (Why is Luis Emile's caretaker in the future? How did they end up at that point?). While it added some confusion to the show, it opened doors to other problems that were to be faced later on. This tremendous impact left the audience in shock and on the edge of their seats.

After seeing the show and staying for the commentary from the actors, I will always remember the story of Emile Griffith, and the actors and show will stay in my mind as well.