←Recommendations of The Fierce Urgency Of Now

Stan Freberg once wrote in a Betsy Ross sketch, “Everybody Wants To Be an Art Director.” Actually, no. Kyle Malick in this play doesn’t, even if he is one now. His path to what he wants is the subject of this play. There is a universality about his story that goes beyond the fact that both Kyle and his lover are gay. (You could make the lover female and not change much in the dynamics or the lines.) All the locations are suggested, so tech is minimal. This is a fun read; I’d like to see it performed.

As a festival producer I know this play thoroughly, and voted it through both submissions and our own awards processes.
DeVita has here woven a rich tapestry of lives we THINK we know all too well (from the pop-media ad-agency habitat). But as this weaving unfolds we find warmth, color, depth of character, and wit - all lacking in so much new theatre. This is a winner from the top down.

The man in the grey flannel hoodie. Poetic justice in yellow. A life of copy, art direction and deadlines, working against interference by people less familiar with the material than you, but more in touch with their prejudices and senior management. Don't you sometimes wish you could just fly away? Kyle does, though he has issues with flight going back to a famous crash that orphaned him and largely determined, for better and worse, the remaining course of his life. What remains is the future course, poised on the fierce urgency of now. Nice work, Doug.

If you've ever worked in the ad business, THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW will give you flashbacks. But it's not really about the ad business, it's about getting on with your life, no matter how young, old, jaded, or fresh you might be. I was rooting for these characters all the way.

THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW transports you into the world of corporate copywriting to witness the layered, heartfelt and clever world of Kyle and Dodo. This play zips across the page and engages the reader/audience! Excellent roles for multiple performers and designers! A fun, humorous, full of heart play!

It's such a glorious thing when you find a playwright who can introduce you to a world you have absolutely no idea about and immediately immerse you in such a skilled way that you become entirely invested in the politics of that world. So is the case for Doug DeVita with his witty, human, and complex take on the advertising industry and the way his protagonist, Kyle, negotiates his way through, guided by the wisdom of his new partner and eventual mentor, Dodo. A beautiful, full, vibrant piece with so much heart.

Doug DeVita's wit absolutely cannot be beat! This play is both an insane, hilarious office comedy and an earnest, thoughtful examination of the families we choose. The characters of Dodo and Kyle especially are so complex and their back-and-forth had me hooked from their first scene together. THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW is knocking on the door and theaters everywhere better answer.

Fast-paced, frantic and funny AF, Doug DeVita's ode to office politics and advertising reads like a screwball comedy with Tourette's. I thought the characters were delightful and the story perfect for inventive staging. And I now need to find a reason to call someone a "swamp donkey." That was the funniest thing I read all day. Terrific job, Doug!

This play does an incredible job of diving deep into office politics from the power plays, favoritism, and the surprising relationships that evolve. Questions are answered at exactly the right time, keeping the audience on their toes throughout and each character is so uniquely specific and filled with their own agency that we know they have a full life outside of their scenes. Doug's use of language to enhance and create characters is an incredible lesson on dialogue and crafting honest and compelling characters.

Don't be fooled. Doug DeVita's razor-sharp wit, his multidimensional characters, and energetic pacing will have you thinking "The Fierce Urgency of Now" is just some madcap Madison Avenue romp in the vicious world of advertising. But that's just a cover for a deeply moving play about love, commitment, friendship, and the growth of character, and you will find yourself gasping back sobs as you laugh and truly feel these people. Even if I knew nothing about the world he shares with us, I would still know exactly what happens here and love seeing how it soars.