It begins in celebration, and ends in the darkness of eternity, but in between "Life," which opened about four billion years ago on Earth, is a mixed bag.

 

To begin with, in the opinion of this reviewer, the setting is overly simplistic. It's mostly a mix of dirt, grass, and water, with some pavement thrown in. Occasionally the audience will see a mountain, the sky, or even a waterfall– but most of the time it's the same thing every day.

 

This reviewer thinks the lighting and sound design could use some work. Most of the time, "Life" is lit by the sun, but at night the sun disappears and artificial lights take its place. These lights are much more flawed than compelling. Similarly, pleasant sounds like that of the ocean, birds chirping on a crisp morning, and sweet nothings whispered in one's ear, are mostly drowned out by car alarms, jackhammers, and yapping puppies.

 

Although "Life" suffers from these flaws, this reviewer found the storylines and choreography quite compelling. People were walking, driving, and flying all over the place, all the time! They even talk to each other– in a wide variety of accents, no less! It is quite impressive. "Life" is full of drama: there are sad deaths, triumphant victories, challenging obstacles, and family strife. With a little something for every kind of audience member, "Life" is a crowd pleaser.

 

Overall, in the eyes of this reviewer, "Life" overcomes its shortcomings to offer a captivating story from which the audience can never look away. We at The Crimson Arts are looking forward to the sequel, "Afterlife," that has been promised to arrive in the near future.