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The Lesbian Play by Riley Elton McCarthy

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  • Emma Goldman-Sherman:
    16 Jun. 2023
    “ What an intense and theatrical piece this is! McCarthy manages to maintain so much tension throughout, continuously raises the stakes and keeps them high in this ensemble drama that kept me on edge all night! The characters are specific and driven. A disturbing play that isn't afraid of confrontation. ”
  • Sam Heyman:
    26 Jul. 2022
    “ Just try and read this play and not finish with your jaw on the floor - there are so many reasons to love "The Lesbian Play", even if that love may be swirled with a feeling of horror. Riley Elton McCarthy expertly ratchets up tensions between members of this ensemble cast and engages with questions worthy of theatrical exploration -- but this is not a play of idle musings. Shit gets real, and once it does, the ride does not stop until it has reached its disturbing conclusion. Produce. This. Play. ”
  • Alexa Rowe:
    9 Jun. 2022
    “ This disturbing albeit personal play shines in its biting and satirical look at the height of the Tumblr age and collides identity politics, liberalism, and the dawn of the Trump era like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. This is a play that knows its audience and provides a lot of important representation for young trans and BIPOC college students to sink their teeth into. The conversations feel ripped right out of a PWI's hallways. Produce this play! ”
  • Kane Normandy:
    22 Apr. 2022
    “ Huge fan of Riley's work; though Ivories to me is more emotionally personal, The Lesbian Play is equally as impactful. I can very easily see this show being a mainstay in college curriculum for the next ten years or so, with its all female and trans cast it speaks directly to the now and doesn't shy away from checking its own blind spots in the privilege dynamics between its characters. This play is outrageous, hilarious, and bone-chilling all at once. Whoever plays Mimi has to be a powerhouse performer. ”
  • Em Glick:
    23 Sep. 2021
    “ I was lucky to see a zoom production of this show and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. McCarthy did a beautiful job of building tension throughout the play and it all culminates in an explosive ending. The show deals perfectly with the problems within the LGBTQ community and the sometimes performative wokeness that exists within queer spaces. I cannot wait to see this show live someday. ”
  • Mark-Eugene Garcia:
    10 Aug. 2021
    “ This show hits hard. This response to "Boys In the Band" shines a light on the barriers we sometimes place upon ourselves in the queer community instead of enjoying the multifaceted beings that we are. Upon enjoying this show I found myself understanding each of the characters, even the troubled Mimi, who's lack of understanding and evolution lead the play to its inevitable and horrifying conclusion. It made me question my own judgments, rethink my own actions, and push myself to be a better person in how I respond to members in my own community. Again, this show hits hard. ”
  • Shaun Leisher:
    24 May. 2021
    “ This is such a violent play throughout but even I did not expect that ending. McCarthy has brilliantly gotten these characters together in an already tense situation and expertly raises the stakes with every minute that passes. This play left me breathless and I can't wait to experience it live on stage. ”
  • Abby Rose Morris:
    24 Oct. 2020
    “ As a highly anticipated birthday party devolves into a literal and ideological bloodbath, Riley McCarthy exposes exclusionary behavior and deep hypocrisy within the LGBTQ community. The Lesbian Play also deals with the complicated nature of friendship, asking how stable friendships can be when they are based on a static identity, and whether these friendships are adaptable or merely conditional. McCarthy's raucous, brutal, masterful play explores the dynamics of marginalized people pitted against each other by a society that wants them to conform or die. The Lesbian Play is somehow both a celebration and takedown of modern queer culture. ”
  • Maxwell Kagan:
    22 Oct. 2020
    “ McCarthy has a distinct sense of character and flair to their writing that conjures provocative and unique dialogue. I loved the building sense of dread that seems to infect the mood of this turbulent and revealing piece. A wonderful companion piece to "Boys in the Band", and McCarthy's similar understanding of the conflicts between this group of LGBTQ friends makes for compelling drama. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    21 Oct. 2020
    “ I loved the steady, propulsive progression of this piece from intersectionally-engaged ensemble drama to heightened political comedy to bombastic, unsettling, theatrical tragi-satire. Each of these characters was a totally recognizable human being and together they created a microcosm of queer culture that explored deep fractions and divisions within communities that should, ostensibly, be affinity spaces. While McCarthy utilizes some of the overall idea of "Boys in the Band" as a starting place, they subvert and reinvent that narrative into an affecting, contemporary, urgent new whole. I also loved the chronologically shifting interludes which helped load the present-day events. ”