I love the clipped way Stephie speaks. And the way he makes her evil but somehow convincing. And your heart drops (especially as a writer) as you see Arny get beaten down. This is how bullies win. Wonderfully concise and vicious and heartbreaking.

John Minigan’s ten-minute play is masterful satire, lampooning two seemingly disparate (but equally infuriating) hypocrisies in one fell swoop. An allegory about the commercialization of art—and the sacrifices creatives are forced to make in the name of success—simultaneously takes aim at the constant minimizing “what-about-ism” Jews encounter when trying to tell our stories. As Minigan’s smarmy Artistic Director and desperate playwright argue over which one of them is “the Gustav”— lacking in the courage to take a risk, I marveled at how seamlessly he weaves together these two ideas in one interaction. Well done!

For playwrights, this story of artistic control is universal. And for Jews, being told we control the narrative or anything else is a never ending struggle. With great humor, including a brilliantly named Artistic Director, John Minigan brings these two thoughts together for quite an emotional impact. This play is truly deserving of acclaim it has received.