Never could I have ever predicted sitting in the audience before an 11 year old girl asking Justin Timberlake to copulate with her. However, this was the titular scene from Stockton’s production of Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake). The show told the story of a distressed mother, mentally scarred 11-year-old, cat-obsessed aunt, and a vengeful apartment. Needless to say, it was an interesting show.

I went into the show not really knowing what I was about to see. Given the rather outlandish title, I was expecting a lighthearted, funny show. I was pleasantly surprised that the show was laugh out loud hilarious at some points, while being thought-provokingly depressing at others. In my opinion, the show was a total success. I had never seen a college level theatrical production before, so I was blown away. First of all, the acting was fantastic-from the quirky aunt and her 57 cats to the homicidal, horny apartment who admits to murdering the father and husband of its current inhabitants. The sets, too, were incredibly detailed. It was even more impressive when I consider that it was completely designed by Stockton students. One thing that really topped it off was the lighting. I have been in several productions throughout my high-school career and I have never seen lighting anywhere near this caliber. It was downright professional. Another encouraging sign was seeing how many fellow honors students (and teachers) came out to support a member of the honors community who was performing in the show.

The show made a dramatic impression on me and my friends as we have been quoting its more humorous parts for the past few weeks. The show was a brilliant piece of art that portrayed a meticulously crafted image of women and family dynamics. I commend the actors and crew on a fantastic job, and I can’t wait to see more shows at Stockton!