Love the way the frame of the podcasters also functions as almost Marcel’s inner dialogue – given that many of our insecurities come from the conversations/opinions/contexts/communities that surround around us, I found this a really effective motif. Loved that Brandon and Marcel’s history with one another wasn’t played for shock value – long before the characters spoke of this directly, the podcast characters made it clear this is what the play was going to be about and I was here for it.

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced HURT PEOPLE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We saw potential central conflict and the discussion it engenders about the broader implications for how society handles these issues of black masculinity. We leaned into the dramatic questions of who is responsible for healing past traumas and the harm that has been caused. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

A tender, beautiful play that explores intersections of sexuality, masculinity/femininity, and race through the story of two men who were friends when young and reconnect in their adulthood and try to make sense of who they are to each other. I loved the use of the somewhat mythological, figurative theatrical world that punctuates scenes of gently observed naturalism between Marcel and Brandon and Marcel and Keisha. All the little seismic shifts in these characters' relationships felt well-earned and didn't rely on any kind of forced melodrama--character changes were organic, poignant, and complex. I'd love to see this in production!