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Monica: This Play Is Not About Monica Lewinsky by Dianne Nora

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  • Morey Norkin:
    11 Jan. 2024
    “ This may not be that Monica, but she could be any woman who achieves a certain level of public fame or notoriety where her sexuality or relationships define her more than her own accomplishments. The structure of this play, the brilliant dialogue, the depth of character combine for an amazing, emotional roller coaster. I’m officially a Dianne Nora fan! ”
  • Shelby Seeley:
    8 Dec. 2021
    “ I loved it! ”
  • David Hansen:
    2 Apr. 2021
    “ In this fictional version of Monica Lewinsky becomes an everywoman. Some suffer their abusers in private, others on full display, and the real Lewinsky is one of the most public examples of that. But this play is not about her specifically, but every woman’s journey toward feeling whole, to having a heart (as is described so poetically in the denouement) that can heal itself. Nora’s narrative jumps back and forth in time with a dry wit, passion, and alacrity, and I highly recommend a read. ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    12 Dec. 2020
    “ Oh my goodness, this play! So smart, so heartbreaking, so spot on! Dianne Nora has a great ear for dialogue and perfectly captures the difficulty of being a woman made infamous and defined by her sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would love to see it staged! ”
  • Catherine Weingarten:
    1 Oct. 2020
    “ I was moved by the elegance and sparseness of this piece. The piece oozes sadness and also the angst of being a woman in a society that wants to put you on a pedestal or objectify you. My fave scene is after she hooks up for the first time and the guy asks her for feedback and he's so mansplainy-lol very relateable yet Nora made the scene heartbreaking as well. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    25 Sep. 2020
    “ Such a spectacular piece! I love how it winds through time, and how each scene is such a potent and packed individual unit, and that once you step back to take in the play you see what an incredible whole and nuanced portrait they create. Nora's exploration of Monica makes it impossible not to see just how cruelly and traumatically society defines women by and in the context of their relationships with men. The fact that this piece defines Monica's lovers by her (and gives zero airtime to Clinton) provides an exceeding human and hopeful character study. ”
  • Ricardo Soltero-Brown:
    27 Jul. 2020
    “ Dianne Nora has written a fantastic play about a woman being defined by her sexuality, a story made up of key episodes throughout her life where men - and a woman - treat her according to their own conclusions about this singular trait, frankly, while believing they're right to do so. From one person's behavior to another's judgement, Monica moves forward, rejecting their decisions, all while figuring out for herself who she really is. Filled with wonderful, natural dialogue allowing actors to explore human behavior in some of its most intimate and strangest splendor, this play is alive and aware. ”
  • Elyse Sharp:
    4 May. 2020
    “ I was fortunate to read this play during the selection process for Capital Stage’s Playwrights Revolutions over a year ago. I haven’t stopped thinking about this play since. It grips you and holds on tight. Can someone produce it already? ”
  • Steven Strafford:
    22 Apr. 2020
    “ Through tight and often very funny dialogue, Monica is a play I wanted to stay in for as long as possible. To explore feminism through the prism of the most intimate moments shared...it makes for an exciting read. I really hope I get to see this play up on its feet one day. It's a tremendous read, and I'm sure would be a tremendous production. ”
  • Evalena Lakin:
    31 Jan. 2020
    “ I was absolutely hooked by the very first moment of this play. The initial image of a man standing over a woman with a frozen steak on her eye and the sharp, cutting dialogue that follows is nothing short of brilliant. Nora's scenes have depth and nuance WITHOUT being heavy-handed, a rare find in plays that reference the current political climate. I love that it’s an adaptation of history - the duality of a character that both is and isn’t Monica Lewinsky, simultaneously ambiguous and clear. ”

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