←Recommendations of The Camera, The Gerbil, and the Big, Wide World

A hauntingly accurate portrayal of childhood friendship, the first awkward tip-toes into adolesence, and the painful realization in adulthood that these precious fleeting moments represent far more than we realize in the moment as children. A gorgeous short play!

As someone who moved many times in childhood and left friends and memories in the review mirror of a station wagon, this play moved me to tears. A beautiful play about lasting friendship.

A very moving play that hits squarely about the value of childhood friendships, while also exploring the emotional resonance of those same friendships. That's something that is rarely explored, and I really liked that the playwright sought that out.

KATE DANLEY’s play touched me emotionally as I became engrossed in the telling of a close childhood friendship which endured into adulthood. When these memories are strong and true, there is a bond that one can use to make sense of the present. The characters are strong; the philosophical use of stars, pets, and moving provide metaphors of the meaning of the world we inhabit; and there is much to learn from this wonderful play, young and old people alike. “The Camera, The Gerbil, And The Big, Wide World” captured my heart!

A fantastic piece about the our most formative early friendships and the discovery of pleasures in childhood. The delight with it all, may we never lose the ability to see the stars! Wonderful.

Looking back, the grass was always greener... Even in Texas - 15 minutes stuffed full of warm fuzzies.

In this short one-act play, Danley dramatizes idyllic scenes of childhood friendship and uses narration by an adult to reflect on their impact. While young audiences will enjoy and relate to so much in Mary and Leo's connections, "The Camera, the Gerbil, and the Big, Wide World" will also resonate with older audiences who may understand how important the right person at the right time can affect our lives.

Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous play. Danley's language is rich and warm, her characters immediately sympathetic. Multidimensional, nuanced, contemporary roles for children or teens seem rare, so Danley's contribution here is especially welcome. She's penned a play that's both hopeful and charming — not because the characters or their situation is saccharine or contrived - but for its honesty and genuine humor. This play is deserving of many productions. And if the weight of the world has you down, read this gem.

This is such a smartly written piece for young/family audiences and for two young performers (can be played by adults). It's the universal tale of a young friendship with opposite problems. Their challenges are gracefully laid out - there's not a lot of "show and tell" going on. We get to know them through some bugs, a rabbit, a gerbil and a camera. The turning point of wishing on a star is poignantly laid out. The imagery of the bugs, naming the stars, and freezing a moment in time is lovingly depicted. A wonderful addition to the TYA canon.