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Perfecting the Kiss: a mockumentary for the stage by Scott Sickles

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Recommendations

  • Brenton Kniess:
    17 Aug. 2023
    “ Sickles writes an outrageously gut bustlingly hilarious play! I’m typically not a fan of the play within a play genre, but Sickles truly creates an absurdist atmosphere that makes the laughs land and the characters so interesting to follow. This play is calling to be staged and with the help of a talented director and cast with great comedic timing, this will be an absolute crowd pleaser! ”
  • Alice Josephs:
    3 Jul. 2023
    “ That production linchpin, the stage manager, narrates this farce, designated by the playwright a ‘mockumentary’ in this ‘Our Town’ of the theatrical world. Skewering the hierarchical and sexual politics (and chaotic twists and turns), the playwright skilfully paces an intrically structured piece of unrequited passion and vaulting ambition in a cat’s cradle of cast, crew, director and writer, swirling egos and insecurities. Curtain up on an ensemble piece of technical precision escalating the excruciating misunderstandings and the laughs! ”
  • Stephen Byrum:
    5 Apr. 2023
    “ Scott Sickles provides a hilarious romp with eccentric characters and an absurd premise. It will have you in stitches, uncomfortable with secondhand embarrassment, (and maybe a little personal embarrassment as you remember a time when one of these people was you), and a good "awwww" moment before the final punchline. Sickles is a master storyteller and it shows! Thank you, Scott, from one cringe-loving, gay fellow playwright! ”
  • Bethany Dickens Assaf:
    4 Mar. 2022
    “ I FEEL SO SEEN BY THIS PLAY! I absolutely connected with the complex and painful insecurities of these artists, and despite their foibles, Sickles has crafted them with such care and empathy. He more than delivers on the Narrator's promise to show "what goes on in theater" in the strange land between off-Broadway and community theater (the Romeo and Juliet in the mind of Hitler - sheer comedic brilliance). This is a hilarious treat for all, but a particular love-letter to those of us who abide in theatre's easy (and often, empty) intimacies and hard-won moments of truth. ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    13 Jan. 2021
    “ A hilarious domino affect of unrequited love that turns it into a great deal of fun in this theatrical production. Endearing and well done. ”
  • Adam Richter:
    11 Jul. 2019
    “ Scott Sickles creates a perfect love -- pentagon? -- in this hilarious sendup of fringe theater. It's also a good cautionary tale for anyone involved in theater at any level. (Except maybe prop managers. They're fine.) I love the way that Scott creates complicated relationships that are funny and also heartfelt, and he does so expertly in this play. ”
  • Daniel Damiano:
    28 May. 2019
    “ A theatrical farce with genuine heart that manages to sustain its brisk comedic pace while also managing to create endearing characters." ”
  • Mark Loewenstern:
    9 Oct. 2018
    “ Laugh out loud funny. A treat for anyone who loves theater. ”
  • Duncan Pflaster:
    8 Oct. 2018
    “ This is a very entertaining backstage comedy, where everyone's in love with the wrong person and no one can focus on the play that needs to get done. So much fun. ”
  • Matthew Weaver:
    23 Jul. 2018
    “ A hilarious and knowing insider's look behind the scenes of a stage. Sickles deftly balances the complicated attractions - the narrator and playwright Harvest, director Edwina and veteran performer Mike. Virtually everyone is in love with young Buck. Characters are, refreshingly, consistently inconsistent. Actors, directors and stage managers in particular will enjoy Sickles' knowing winks that the true drama goes on between and beneath the dialogue. Particularly funny is Edwina's blatant attempt to partner Mike and Harvest, and their ensuing reactions. Sickles brands this a mockumentary, but really, he captures experiences which are all too true. A genuinely perfect scream. ”

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