Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn:
27 Jun. 2023
“
An absolutely lovely snapshot of history from the perspective of people it may have affected the most. Powerful and informative. Great characters to play as well. ”
Recommendations
Recommendations
- Ryan Vaughan:27 May. 2023“ Absolutely beautiful piece. I had read the synopsis but found myself really hoping that I had read it wrong and everything would turn out right in the end. Unfortunately that is not the case. But works like this that show the raw pain on the LGBTQ+ community are needed. And this piece is beautiful. ”
- Sam Heyman:21 May. 2023“ Locked between his obligations to his Catholic, Irish family and his loyalty to his embittered, ex-Catholic lover, Kevin O'Connor has quite a choice to make. However, the choice is less about whose side Kevin takes than what Kevin is willing to tolerate when it comes to disrespect about who he is and the life he wants to live.
Paul Donnelly's "Tis True, Ma" navigates the challenge of queer people who come out later in life to not just receive the acceptance they crave, but to demand the respect they deserve with cultural specificity and heart. Excellent work. ” - Adam Richter:29 Dec. 2022“ There is a depressing stubbornness to hate, and what makes it worse is when such bigotry is on display in one's own family. Kevin's mother sticks to her rigid notions of what it means to be Irish, to the point of alienating her gay son. It would lead to a heartbreaking ending but for the choice that Kevin makes that gives him, and the audience, hope.
Paul Donnelly packs a ton of thoughtful commentary into this short play with great dialogue and vivid characters. Well done! ” - John Busser:2 Mar. 2022“ Prejudice is always ugly, and never uglier when it concerns members of family. Paul Donnelly gives us a mother and son who have been butting heads on his lifestyle choices, with neither one backing down, in true Irish fashion. Kevin's attempts to gain her acceptance of him and his lover Michael while visiting the Stonewall Inn don't go as planned, but when do they ever? There is a breakthrough of sorts between the two men however that shows even smaller victories can be just as satisfying. ”
- Julie Zaffarano:26 Oct. 2021“ Even when you are at a mature age and know who you are, you can still long for a parent’s acceptance. Paul Donnelly shows us that understanding and accepting ourselves is the greatest gift we can give. ”
- Elan Garonzik:1 Oct. 2020“ A heartbreaking piece that pulls you in two ways -- objecting to the mother's prejudices, but also welcoming the gay lovers partnership & how important it is to them to see at Stonewall the openly gay Irish Prime Minister. Short, but packs a punch. Very moving. ”
- Liz Dooley:7 Sep. 2020“ Donnelly wonderfully captures the difficult balance between loving your culture, and hating the way it influences your loved ones and their beliefs. This play gives one hope that we ARE moving away from hatred, however slowly or with whatever difficulty it may take. Well done! ”
- Cheryl Bear:12 Jul. 2020“ The effort to gain acceptance from those you loved who may not evolve is a heartbreaking one. Well done. ”
- John Mabey:10 Jul. 2020“ Paul Donnelly has written a heartfelt play that captures the bittersweet layers of acceptance, both of yourself and of others. As trauma (physical and emotional) becomes internalized, it affects the ways in which we see the world and ourselves. Donnelly plays on this theme beautifully, expanding the concept of 'family' and demonstrating that the most important acceptance comes from within. ”