←Recommendations of Hath Taken Away

I had the opportunity to see Hath Taken Away at The Great Plains Theatre Conference. It’s a master-work—beautiful, rich, moving. Each of the three characters is complex and continually surprising in a play that addresses big questions. I appreciate that he never judges or stereotypes his characters. I loved the structure of the play – it unfolds in a way that feels like opening an intricately wrapped gift. I had the feeling that I was in the hands of a highly intelligent and empathetic playwright.

There is much I love about this play, its ethereal beauty, its exploration of just how cruel and capricious the universe can be, it portrait of three young people forming their own family unit after the grown ups in their lives fail them, but I think most of all I appreciate its nuanced portrayal of the type of characters you rarely see rendered sympathetically in the medium of theatre.

This poignant play is chock full of absolutely beautiful language. Complex and evocative.

Intimate story of three young Christians, struggling with similar questions to the biblical Job: abandonment, where is God right now, why are these events happening to me? I enjoyed the red/white imagery, and the significance of the events occurring over the Easter weekend. Well rendered.

A delicate, imagistic and elegant play, Hath Taken Away addresses questions of sacrifice and choice (specifically women's) in challenging and surprising ways. I'm most impressed by the play's quietly complex structure, and most moved by its vividly sensual portrayal of deeply religious characters.

Beautiful, evocative, and sensitive! This play is like walking into a dream.

Beautiful, haunting, interesting narrative structure. This play reminded me a bit of the melancholic and mournful tone of "Spoon River Anthology."

Hath Taken Away is remarkable for its compassionate treatment of those with faith. Yet Jacob does not shy away from the doubts that trail and confound religious people -- in fact, he gives age-old questions of freewill and belief a fresh dynamic, by drawing a makeshift family into a conflict over one of our most debated issues. This play is a beautiful exploration of individuals struggling to make the right choice. Is there any more worthy story in theatre?