Artificial Sunset is a gripping, emotional exploration of addiction, infatuation, and self-discovery. Friday's journey through a casino of personal turmoil and fleeting connection with Chip is both tender and unsettling. Max Kennel’s sharp dialogue and the dance sequences create a haunting metaphor for love’s complexities.

A fascinating and tight character study that contains so much more than it initially seems to. Kennel uses dialogue to both directly convey and glance at meaning in constantly interesting ways. The dance sequences add textural layers to relationships that are at times tender and other times chilling. The casino setting acts as an appropriate central metaphor: Every word we exchange and every moment we spend with another person is a gamble. The play offers no easy answers on whether the risk is worth it. Compelling work.

A perfect juxaposition to some of Kennel's other works, "Artificial Sunset" provides a good look at the themes of addiction and the breaking of family cycles. The cast size and story both stay on the common path of well-structured storytelling while also taking us in a new direction in how we view the combination of character and concept. Max goes out of his way to reach for uncommon tales, and this one, however unique, can easily be interpreted in both large and small productions.