The Dells

“THE DELLS, named for the Wisconsin region filled with water parks, themed attractions and restaurants, natural formations, and kitchy vacation spots, doesn’t quite satisfy that curiosity.  It provides little-to-no details about the logistics of their situations or expound upon the help that is or is not available to them, although we do get glimpses of it as we see the pandemic begin to wreak havoc on some of their jobs and housing situations.  But we never stay with one student for long enough to really get to know them.  We get glimpses in and out of their lives, as the director, Nellie Kluz, is more interested in creating a sense of place and skimming across the Dells, catching flashes of personality and story where it presents itself to her.  The best parts were when we got to sit in the passengers’ seat of a local cabbie’s shuttle as he chatted with the students and shared stories about his own life, and then one memorable situation where a group of students were accosted by an older man with questionable motivations who insisted on buying them pizza and giving them advice on how to immigrate and make money.  But we are dropped into and lifted out of these situations with little context or explanation, making the narrative hard to follow and the message muddled.  I’m not sure what Nellie was really trying to say with the piece, nor do I think it was necessarily her intention to say anything.  I’m glad to have gone on the journey either way. 3.5/5 Cats.”