Dr. 2's diagnosis of patient The Bottle Tree by Beth Kander
Patient: The Bottle Tree
Legal Guardian: Playwright Beth Kander
Insurance: PagePay Plus
Symptoms: awkward adolescence, sober psychology
Diagnosis: ghost whispering
“This whole thing— everything— it’s not who we are. It’s what happened to us, but it is not who we are.”
Patient Description:
The patient smelled of evergreen cologne and symbolism. The bottle tree of The Bottle Tree is exploited generously without getting stale. The legal guardian constantly found new ways to perceive the tragedy through the bottle tree's decorated simplicity. The author's note said they want to open the discussion on gun violence from both sides, but there was no dialectical discussion. It was one sided; there was no pro-gun character on stage. It's not guns n' philosophy, but it nobly spoke on behalf of the victims of gun violence through drama, which told the best tale. A notable concern was the client/psychologist relationship that could have moved along faster. Also, the sad reflections within the drama feel spacey and redundant at times, especially with the reoccurring idea of victims dealing with gun violence stigmas, "It's not who we are."
