Search and Destroy by Howard Koerder

Search And Destroy

Reviewed By Kristina Mannion Backstage West Critic's Pick

"Jay Michael Fraley's frenetic sound design during the scene transitions also adds suspense to Mirkheim's chaotic ventures. But Fraley's turn as the lamentable Mirkheim himself is obviously his more notable contribution here. With bumbling uncertainty and hesitant speech, Fraley's Mirkheim is the quintessential schlemiel who means well but has a penchant for making bad choices. Even as his character descends into criminal behavior, we can't help but feel sorry for him. Yet, Fraley injects enough ominous tension into his characterization to outline Mirkheim's nerdiness with a brittle edge. In the end, when Mirkheim wrangles a bit of backward justice, Fraley ends up invoking both admiration and disgust for his character's questionable actions."