John Lennon said, "life is what happens when you're making other plans" - and since he wasn't a millenial American woman dealing with the cascading horrors of the 21st century, he never knew just how right he was. But Aly Kantor knows, and OCCUPIED (a hell of a double-meaning in that title, btw) is a portrait of two such women that is by turns heartbreaking, horrifying, and hysterical. Hell, this play's worth it for its final page alone - an amazing, devastating epitath.

"Occupied" manages to be both a delicately written portrait of two friends and a startling and on point exploration of gun violence in the US and its subtle but palpable impact on everyday experiences and relationships. I loved the evolution of these two humans throughout the years, the examination of the educator experience in the USA, and the insight on how big socio-political truths affect seismic shifts in personal actions. The dialogue moved swiftly and naturally throughout.

The sagacity of OCCUPIED hinges on how well Aly Kantor uses a big and small strategy in an intimate two-hander that covers 25 years. She expertly replaces plot suspense with curiosity for the evolving friendship of Amelia and Jac. External pressure exerts itself on their inner world of moveable sanctuaries. Huge insights fuel this dazzling miniaturist drama. I love Jac's horrifying soul joke in the stellar Scene 5. Also the balance between fear and hope, comedic flourishes and tragic distancing.