Barry Smoot's KINGDOM OF ANIMALS is a one-two gut punch of queer romance and religious trauma. I have read almost nothing so visceral and aggressively beautiful. The entire play is a dance of sensual violence with a powerful payoff. The themes of religious trauma, internalized homophobia, and generational curse hit especially close to home. You know the play is good when you have to stop multiple times while reading to sob uncontrollably. This play is going to consume my thoughts for months.

Barry Smoot's KINGDOM OF ANIMALS is a fascinating and feral depiction of how internalized queerphobia passed down generationally causes the human body to reject any form of authentic intimacy for the sake of survival, particularly in a world not designed to embrace queer intimacy.

Smoot recommended this play to me after reading one of mine. I hadn't seen his recommendation to read it for a while, but very thankful I did. As a fellow Texan, I have found so much in Smoot's writing. There is such a pay off to getting through the play. The idea of fear within any kind of intimacy was something that I think many queer people who grew up in not so accepting circumstances can relate to. If you have the chance you have to read this play, it is so moving!