With a nod to William Inge and Horton Foote, Craig Houk's "Syd" is a theatrical treasure of drama, social commentary and vivid storytelling. Oh, and let's not forget the characters, rendered with such complexity and intimate feeling that each one leaps off of the page. Mr. Houk has taken an actual occurance and placed it in such an unforgettably dramatic context that it is sure to burn in the readers or theater goers memory. This work was a pleasure to read.

Set in a conservative Christian Louisiana community in the early 1970s, this play gives us two families dealing, in very different ways, with crises involving a gay son and a lesbian daughter. Houk evokes the specific world of the play through canny selection of revealing details. He expertly renders the regional dialect while giving each character a believable individual voice within it. Family tensions and affections feel complex and real. Some of the characters make disturbing choices, while others rise to the challenges with unexpected grace, and it’s all written with compassion and insight. Worthwhile and stageworthy!