“You were oceans away. There were lifetimes of water between us.” - Pocket Universe. Beautiful, transporting, poignant, and high drama. These are some of the one-word responses audience members gave after seeing Pocket Universe by Thomas Brandon at Ashland New Plays Festival. This science fiction mystery tells a moving story about love and grief. Director Rhonda Kohl shared, “Grief is a universal language, and this play explores that common experience through an uncommon lens.” This wonderfully unpredictable show dazzled audiences at ANPF, and we are proud to support Pocket Universe by Thomas Brandon as an ANPF 2021 winner.

This two-person play is its own tiny universe, unfolding beautifully and painfully over the course of the audience's intense and too-brief time with these characters. One of the most compelling and well-wrought instance of science fiction onstage that I've come across. Highly recommend.

A unique way to explore life, death, memory, love, loss, and grief. It is effective and largely well-crafted and uses the sci-fi elements particularly well. Beautiful and devastating. A special thanks to those involved in the fantastic reading at the 2021 Ashland New Plays Festival.