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Recommendations

Recommendations

  • Sarah Tuft:
    19 Jan. 2018
    Donna Hoke’s ELEVATOR GIRL packs a powerful punch. Riffing off the hyper-sexualized world of superhero comics, the play turns that world on its head to reveal the damaging impact of its inherent misogyny. ELEVATOR GIRL’s relatable contemporary characters give the play a light touch while drawing us in for its quietly moving revelations. Witty and poignant, this is a play for today’s #MeToo era.
  • Samantha Charlip:
    23 Oct. 2017
    A darkly and quietly political piece, Elevator Girl uses a cartoon as both an everyday feminist heroine and the target male sexualization to explore the bounds of fantasy and reality. A deeply relevant play for a culture in turmoil.
  • Robert Lynn:
    23 Oct. 2017
    Theatrical, engaging, and thought-provoking without being heavy-handed, Elevator Girl takes a sharp stick and pokes at our views toward sexual assault and objectification using the vehicle of graphic novel/superhero culture, which is symptomatic of the same issues.
  • Ian August:
    1 Sep. 2017
    Donna Hoke takes the conversation about hyper-sexualized super heroines and flips it on it's ear with ELEVATOR GIRL. This play addresses the misogyny that continues to define the world of comic books, while simultaneously exploring the feelings of fear and guilt that surround victims of sexual assault, and the inability of men to fully understand those feelings. ELEVATOR GIRL is revealing and affecting, a bravely clever way to address a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant in the world of comic book publishing.
  • Amy Thorstenson:
    13 Aug. 2017
    Elevator Girl wisely uses the fun and topical structure of comic book superheroes to discuss the much less fun topic of sexual assault. The play creates thought-provoking parallels between real-life rape culture and the comic-within-the-play, and although it definitely has a point of view, it never feels preachy. I saw the play as a staged reading and the potent visual elements, inspired by comic book art, were already captivating; in a full production the lighting/costumes/stage design could bring the world of Elevator Girl to a whole new level.
  • Christopher LaBanca:
    18 Jul. 2017
    As the Executive Director of a theatre company that is regularly looking to produce plays that allows us to "foster community dialogue through theatre about socially-relevant issues," this play is a godsend. It is so important that we discuss rape culture, but how does one convince audience members that this is a play they need to see? ELEVATOR GIRL is one of those rare plays that audiences will inexorably find themselves drawn to, and it will remain with them long after they have left the theater. This play is a workshop on engaging, relevant, and vital theatre.
  • Michelle Tyrene Johnson:
    13 Jul. 2017
    I got lucky and happened to be in NYC when there was a reading of this play and I'm so glad I got to hear it. It has great characters, particularly a heroine that provided layers, grit, and intrigue. The two men were engaging in their own right and made Elevator Girl's journey compelling. What I was most impressed by was the story's ability to bring the genre of graphic novels to a theatrical setting. I could hear that and visualize it from the reading. And I loved the feminism bones that held up a meaty and dramatic plot.
  • Heather Helinsky:
    13 Jun. 2017
    This piece bravely uses the superhero plot to take on rape culture. This is a piece where Vanessa gets into a situation that's relatable---as her workplace ideas get stolen and her comic heroine is objectified by the men in her life. Hoke does good work here flipping the narrative in fun, surprising ways. I hope it continues to receive support and development towards production, as it will easily find an audience.
  • Greg Burdick:
    11 Jun. 2017
    Elevator Girl's arrival, amidst the string of Marvel/DC blockbuster films and shows dominating our movie theaters and living room binge-fests, is perfectly timed. Hoke's story provokes important discussions we should all be having about consent, and the consequences when it is ignored. She has constructed a giant sandbox for graphic artists, costume, sound, scenic and lighting designers to play in. With just three characters it's small in scale... but certainly packs a wallop.
  • Eugene O'Neill Theater Center:
    1 May. 2017
    It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Donna Hoke and their play Elevator Girl as a finalist for our 2017 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 55 finalists out of more than 1,300 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process. Our readers responded to the play’s sharply imagined world and its use of comedic and comic book genres to explore difficult contemporary issues.

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