←Recommendations of In the Serpent's Nest (formerly Queen of Sad Mischance)

I watched the the recent CreateTheater Monday Night Development Series rebroadcast of the TRU Voices Series reading of this gripping play. I found myself completely engrossed in Kym's ethical dilemmna as she struggled to choose between transparency leading to a potential roadblock and academic subterfuge leading either to great success or utter disaster. Minigan does an amazing job of showing us that in academia, as in Shakespeare's world, forming the right alliances and making the right decisions at the right time is everything.

A moving play that explores what happens when we feel like we don't belong. As someone who teaches at a college, I can say that Minigan got all the academic details just right without sacrificing the true relationship drama at the center of the story. Great characters that allow actors to explore complexity of relationship and feeling. Simple set and few characters make for ease of production.

One woman finds herself while another loses herself in this extraordinary and engrossing play. From its erudite exploration of academic ambition to its clear-eyed depiction of the cost and the fear of early onset Alzheimer's, the narrative never ceases to engage and to move beyond facile resolutions. I am in awe of the craft and the insight that inform every page.

I was thrilled to see a virtual staged reading of this extraordinary play last month as part of the TRU Voices reading series, and hope that many live productions will follow before too much longer.

There's a line on the bottom of page 75 that took me out. Not because it didn't fit, not because the writing isn't great (it's wonderful), but because I needed to take a minute to breathe. It hit me like a truck, and all of a sudden I was crying. I came back to reading, and then more chills came. Earlier talk of Ophelia and Margaret comes back. Choices are made. People hurt and use and love each other, they move forward, they hope, they hurt. Thank you for the chills.

This is a gorgeous play. The writing is so tight. The story is so well structured. The parallels between Queen Margaret and Beverly are so compelling. And, as heartbreaking as the story is, there's something uplifting about the fact that Kym seems poised to avoid the "scorpion's nest" that trapped the other women. The cycle is broken and it seems like maybe there are better days ahead. The fact that this play is not being produced all over the country is a shame. People should see it.

This play is gorgeous! Without a single wasted word, it tells the story of three people with dreams deferred who feel - some figuratively, some literally - that time is slipping away from them. I loved watching the relationships grow and change as the play went on, and as Beverly's memory slowly disintegrated. All three characters are complex and would be a joy for any actor. Stellar stuff!!

Well defined characters in a well paced story. Greatly enjoyed the tension in Act II Scene 2!

A powerful look at academia and the trajectory of one's career. As one makes discoveries, the path alters and a new way forward has to be found. Well done.

A bold story of slipping chances and dreams deferred. Makes you ache for these lost, lonely souls throughout but with a brutally simple button at the end.