More Theater Monday - Thou Shalt Not

We were given free tickets to Thou Shalt Not for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Thou Shalt Not 

Where: Church of Saint John the Evangelist

             189 George Street

             New Brunswick, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 16 and Up

When: Remaining performances Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hall-Mills murder case in which pastor, Edward Wheeler Hall and Eleanor Mills, a member of his church choir were found murdered on a farm in Somerset, NJ. The crime was among the most notorious of its time, and one of the first to stir a media frenzy.  Now, the centennial anniversary has sparked new interest in the crime spurring the Thinkery and Verse Theatre Company to present their site-specific play related to the case Thou Shalt Not.

The play actually takes place in the very church where Hall was the pastor and Mills attended. This gives the show extra doses of both fascination and eerieness. Although Pastor Hall's wife and several of her relatives were suspected of the crime and put on trial, several other theories of the crime were also prevalent and no one was ultimately convicted. The play does a good job of not taking sides but presenting all theories of the case particularly in the last section where all the various possible scenarios are acted out.

This is not a show that you just go and watch. From the moment, you walk in to the venue, you are a part of the things as during the first part of the show and again later, the actors in the show walk around and interact with the audience members as their characters. On the whole, it is quite a unique and interesting experience. 

And that's our view. For more about Thou Shalt Not or to reserve tickets to one of the two remaining performances, visit www.thinkeryandverse.org.

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.