←Recommendations of BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART

Donna Hoke takes on the hypocrisy of the "sugar daddy/sugar baby" phenomenon in "Brilliant Works of Art". She broadens the meaning (beyond the core theme of trading sex for tuition money), to encompass the art world and its collector-artist relationships. This is a taut, well-constructed play that fleshes out human greed and arrogance, on several levels. Brava, Donna Hoke.

Once again, Donna Hoke excels at writing compelling and universal naturalism that tackles large questions and themes by zeroing in on an intimate cast of characters. Abby is an amazing protagonist who is humanly flawed and impossible not to empathize with and root for. Humor and human quirkiness live alongside big moral and ethical choices in each scene, making for a quick and propulsive read! I hope to see this already well-developed play produced soon.

The characters in this play are so specific and deliberate, it allowed me to consume this play in one quick sitting. BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART was such a fantastic read. I am also grateful to Donna Hoke for allowing the characters to dictate the story, not the expectation.

Upon first read, I was immediately struck by the specific and meticulously crafted voice of BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART. I then had the distinct pleasure of hearing the play read aloud as part of the 2019 Detroit New Works Festival and was further blown away. With an elegant and crafty hand, Donna Hoke created a brilliant work of feminist art that is both current and classic in its themes - I cannot recommend it enough.

A magnificent roller coaster of emotions. BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART is fast paced and heart gripping. We all have an idea of how we want the show to end but what Hoke reminds us again and again in this piece is it is all about what Abby wants.

Fast-paced and exquisitely crafted, BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART follows an unfettered young woman doing what she must to have it all. Lucky for us, the two men in her life are equally as good at getting what they want. And so, these three lives collide. Best of all, this play is all show and no tell. By allowing her characters to follow their desires to their inevitable ends, Hoke has given us a window into the complex relationship between sex and power, money and agency, barter and bribe. Love to see this staged!!

Was lucky enough to see a reading of Donna Hoke's BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART at the 2019 Detroit New Works Festival and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast-paced, thought-provoking, and witty, BRILLIANT prompted a lively discussion about power, gender roles, and who'd really gained the upper hand at the end of the play. Hoke gives us three well-developed characters who all evolve in surprising ways, and a clever, compelling story that makes a point without ever lapsing into polemic.

I was lucky enough to be involved in a reading of this play very early on in its journey. While I enjoyed it then, the play is now crisper, smarter and all around better. Donna is a fantastic editor of her own work and it shows in all she does. Rarely is there a wasted syllable, let alone a line or scene. What a great piece for a producer to bring to a community. Produce this play!

Donna Hoke is always surprising, her characters disarming, her themes intricately explored. We recorded BWOA at play4keeps.org with Anthony Heald, Stefani Potter, and Román Zaragoza and the play just smokes! It was a very deft, in-your-face look at the way priorities shape the relationships we build and the choices we own. The conclusion may rattle you a bit, but it won't leave you doubting who's really in charge.

Absolutely timely, with a strong female lead who knows what she wants and allows men to believe they are in charge--while her happiness always comes first. Swell relationships and clever characters. Themes are thrilling and make you challenge life's questions of, "how do we negotiate the lines between happiness, self sabotage, debt and love".