The characters in Phillie's Trilogy feel so real, the dialogue so natural, that you are left with a vague impression that playwright Doug DeVeta might just be sifting through your own memories, sharing bits of your own reality. DeVeta's ability to seamlessly pull back the curtain of life, guide you through the nitty gritty of memory, and shine a light on both the vulnerability and the strength of life-long relationships is amazing. I really hope I one day have the opportunity to see this one staged.

Exquisite. With Phillie McDougal, DeVita gifts the audience with one of the most uniquely layered queer & quirky characters ever devised. Unapologetic, defiant, vulnerable, volatile & antagonistic all rolled into one. And in fact, every single character in this play is captivating, the relationships between them genuinely complex and entwined. Phillie’s Trilogy is also cinematic in scope as DeVita nimbly moves backward and forward in time, expertly accentuating various tense moments with flashbacks & voiceovers. There’s plenty to ponder, but at the center of this play is an extraordinary love story between a gay man and his best girlfriend.

This is not deja-vu; I have recommended this play before in September 2019. But in this finely-tuned revision, Doug DeVita brings the scalpel and sharp focus on the characters to the point that it's a breathtaking trip through the past and present in the lives of these friends and family, lovers and rivals, bringing out the past joys and pain in exquisite and sometimes excruciating detail. The growth of the characters through the years and the regressions to past hurts makes it all the more compelling to watch and hold them to your heart.