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Down the Road' - A dark, but enlightening trip
- By Cheryl Thornburg, Las Cruces Sun News [ Friday, Sept. 13, SUN NEWS C-2 ]

Goose bumps. As I left the Black Box Theatre, I still had goose bumps after watching the chilling No Strings Theatre production of "Down the Road." Lee Blessing's play which explores the mind of a serial killer is one of the most disturbing and thought-provoking plays to hit Las Cruces in recent years.

At the heart of its success is an uncanny performance by Joseph Sedillo as Bill Reach, a man convicted of killing 19 young women. Sedillo, an NMSU freshman whose stage credits to date include lighter comedy roles, shows that he can evoke a dark side that will make your skin crawl.

First time director Dru Ruebush, who is well knows to Las Cruces theatregoers for countless musical performances, proves he is multi-talented, guiding a relatively green cast to sterling performances.

Newcomer Jana Everett, a junior at NMSU, is 100 percent in character and is so believable as Iris, that you feel you're eavesdropping on her conversations with her husband, played by Daniel Medford.

Medford returns to the local stage after a long absence. His performance in "Of Mice and Men" at Las Cruces Community theatre several years ago was memorable, and he adds another solid credit to his acting laurels as Dan, the more subdued of the writing duo assigned to chronicle the life of a cold-blooded killer.

As the writers begin to interview the serial killer for a book, he begins to affect them and their relationship. They, and the audience, begin to question how mass publicity may play a role in encouraging disturbed individuals to act out to gain recognition.

The interview scenes are disturbing not only for the callous descriptions of the rapes and murders, but also for the staging. Projected above the interview table one by one are images of the victims, making the loss seem even more real.

This is a play that will stay with you after you leave the theatre.

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