More than any other Pantheon, the Norse gods have always had a unique penchant for buffoonery in their wanton violence. The Greeks are so dramatic they could never. Syran not only perfectly nails this tone, but deftly captures the turmoil and uncertainty of a people transitioning faiths. True or no, the stories we have, the ones told to us as children, the same ones we share and tell again as we age, they are what define us. A moving, beautiful exploration of cycles, beginnings and ends, family, and how everything is more or less Loki’s fault.

Nora Louise Syran provides an entertaining education of Norse mythology in EINAR'S RAGNOROK. Whether you're somewhat familiar with the gods and their tales or have no knowledge of them, you will certainly enjoy the craftmanship of Syran's story-telling. Cleverly using a time period and setting that bridges the pagan "then" to the Christian "now" at an Althing gathering in Iceland, the presentation of the mythology is woven into the fabric of the transition itself. Very well done. I would love to see this staged.

Over great periods of time old beliefs and customs are replaced with new ones. But to preserve the ancient stories, it often takes a poet to capture the essence of a time and its people. In this play, Einar is that poet, but in fact the true poet is playwright Nora Louise Syran. Here she lovingly weaves a tale of Norse mythology and Icelandic history to pass on to students, teachers, parents, or anyone else lucky enough to share in this experience. Entertainment and education in one beautiful package.