This play made me laugh out loud -- in between gasps of recognizing how insane the "self-help" world really can be. The playwright has created distinct and specific characters that inhabit this highly claustrophobic conference room, and I found myself on the edge of my seat following all the twists and turns and alliances and surprises. It's hilarious and shocking and wince-worthy and powerful, and deserves an A+ production.

It seems anything can be bought these days--including self-actualization and enlightenment. Abbey Fenbert's THE INTENSIVE is a whip-smart examination of a facet of the self-help industry that asks: Can we REALLY become better? Or are we just fooling ourselves into believing improvement is possible for someone else's financial benefit? Fast-paced and fun, this play will delight anyone who occasionally wants to throw their hands up in despair at the absurdity of the modern world.

Both surreal and uncomfortably realistic, Fenbert's The Intensive is a character-driven feast. It forces us to question everything just like the characters in the play. What's real? What's imagined? What's transformation? What's manipulation? The characters shift in their own thinking as we do as well. I love the unexpected twists and the comedy. It's laugh out loud and incisively human.