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Wendy and the Neckbeards by Kari Bentley-Quinn

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Recommendations

  • Daniel Prillaman:
    24 Mar. 2024
    “ The men are not all right. Unfortunately for Wendy (and so many others), the only thing harder than being a man in the age of the internet is being a woman. KBQ's deep dive into the darkest forums of toxic masculinity is explosive, and an important reminder that behind every account (usually), is another human being. Now that's NO excuse for being shitty (or worse), but it shows how far social media has warped our ability to connect, as well as the misogyny that has existed since the beginning of time. A rallying cry in what feels an endless war. ”
  • Jillian Blevins:
    22 Mar. 2023
    “ WENDY AND THE NECKBEARDS is a deceptively moving, metatheatrical thrill ride through some of the creepier corners of the internet. Along with her Greek chorus of neckbeards, Kari Bentley-Quinn guides us into the depths manosphere like Aristophanes took us to Hades in The Frogs, with just as much scathing social satire and fourth wall-breaking absurdist comedy.

    WATNB is perhaps the best theatrical treatment of the internet I’ve yet encountered, both in form and content. KBQ’s savvy and nuanced play explores the ways chronically-online misogyny infiltrates mainstream culture—“normal guys” aren’t immune, our “online selves” are still us. ”
  • Eric Pfeffinger:
    21 Mar. 2023
    “ Bold and ingenious, angry and surprising. Opportunities for inventive and balletic theatricality coexist with gripping scenes of menace. And in its most audacious gambit, the play's violation of conventional dramaturgical expectations enacts a resonant critique of a metastasizing social crisis. Regrettably, this play gets more urgently relevant with every passing day. ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    25 Aug. 2021
    “ A powerful discussion of the age of social media and the internet trolls that come along with it as being anonymous opens the door to abuse. Well done. ”
  • Cole Hunter Dzubak:
    4 Jul. 2021
    “ I was recently cast in this show at MSU and wanted to show some love. This show is absolutely brilliant and touches on so many often ignored topics. The characterization of the chorus of neckbeards shines line on how traumatic internet trolls can be to a person, and the storyline with Jess, Bree, and Chad is so terrific. This show also breaks the fourth wall so well, and does so in a way that keeps the audience in the world of the play. I love this show as a playwright, and can’t wait to be in it as actor. ”
  • TJ Young:
    17 Dec. 2020
    “ This play is a masterful accomplishment. The subject matter is pointed, never shying away from the true brutality of the ugly parts of humanity it exposes. All of this is done with a great bead on real people and relationships that feel flawed in the way humans are. The Neckbeards are a fantastic device and KBQ demonstrates the deep pain some people who hurt others hold while not excusing their actions. There were moments where my heart was racing, begging my eyes to take in the words faster. It is sharp, witty, purposeful, and incredibly powerful. Spectacular to the end. ”
  • Toby Malone:
    17 Dec. 2020
    “ A breathtaking, fearless, necessary play that goes straight for the throat and speaks directly to the insidious swamp that is the internet's comments section. The masterful device of the Chorus of Neckbeards would be reason enough for a recommendation, but the finely drawn characters, metatheatrical breaks, and real-world consequences (including the best use of guest-star meta I've seen in forever) make this necessary reading. This shows us how low we've sunk, and how impossible it is to find our way out. I left acutely depressed about where we are in the world, but elated to have discovered this voice. ”
  • Hayley Haggerty:
    16 Oct. 2020
    “ One of the freshest, most original plays I've read in a long time, Wendy and the Neckbeards toes a line between comedy, camp and drama that I am insanely jealous of. It gets so much about social media & the internet right, but moreso about our society, teens now, and what we're constantly giving to others that we may not even know about. ”
  • Colin Mattox:
    25 Feb. 2020
    “ I am always on the lookout for plays that are as engaging on the page as they are on the stage and this one certainly fits the bill. This is a dark comedy with a message that urges the audience to be different than some of the characters and, you know, be not a neckbeard. Highly recommend. A play of and for our times. ”
  • Becky McLaughlin:
    18 Feb. 2020
    “ I would love to see this staged. The Neckbeards felt like a Greek chorus, and the blending of structures added to the sense that these issues have been around forever and do not have an end in sight. This can be such a dark topic, but somehow the play feels breezy and light while also hitting the issues hard. It feels simple and complex at the same time, and I imagine it would lead to great conversations among the audience afterwards. ”

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