←Recommendations of ELEVATOR GIRL

My first foray into a Donna Hoke play, and how thrilled I am to have had the experience! I had the honor of listening to an incredible staged reading of "Elevator Girl" at InProximity Theatre's Project W Festival. This play is courageous, brilliant, hilarious, nuanced, unapologetic, and necessary. Listening, I found myself transported - I could see the production in front of me - this play could be performed everywhere with a raucous reception. I will be keeping my eye on this one - both the author, and the play!

In the stunning ELEVATOR GIRL, Hoke fearlessly takes on more issues than can be counted--rape, consent, body image, "good guys," feminism, misogyny, the patriarchy--but she does it with a feather light touch that later feels like a super-powered punch in the jaw. This is a play that needs to be performed on a REGULAR BASIS for people of all ages, all genders, and all races. ELEVATOR GIRL is the kind of play that will receive a standing ovation everywhere it's performed because audiences won't be able to help it--and then they will discuss it deep into the night.

Donna Hoke’s ELEVATOR GIRL packs a powerful punch. Riffing off the hyper-sexualized world of superhero comics, the play turns that world on its head to reveal the damaging impact of its inherent misogyny. ELEVATOR GIRL’s relatable contemporary characters give the play a light touch while drawing us in for its quietly moving revelations. Witty and poignant, this is a play for today’s #MeToo era.

A darkly and quietly political piece, Elevator Girl uses a cartoon as both an everyday feminist heroine and the target male sexualization to explore the bounds of fantasy and reality. A deeply relevant play for a culture in turmoil.

Theatrical, engaging, and thought-provoking without being heavy-handed, Elevator Girl takes a sharp stick and pokes at our views toward sexual assault and objectification using the vehicle of graphic novel/superhero culture, which is symptomatic of the same issues.

Donna Hoke takes the conversation about hyper-sexualized super heroines and flips it on it's ear with ELEVATOR GIRL. This play addresses the misogyny that continues to define the world of comic books, while simultaneously exploring the feelings of fear and guilt that surround victims of sexual assault, and the inability of men to fully understand those feelings. ELEVATOR GIRL is revealing and affecting, a bravely clever way to address a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant in the world of comic book publishing.

Elevator Girl wisely uses the fun and topical structure of comic book superheroes to discuss the much less fun topic of sexual assault. The play creates thought-provoking parallels between real-life rape culture and the comic-within-the-play, and although it definitely has a point of view, it never feels preachy. I saw the play as a staged reading and the potent visual elements, inspired by comic book art, were already captivating; in a full production the lighting/costumes/stage design could bring the world of Elevator Girl to a whole new level.

As the Executive Director of a theatre company that is regularly looking to produce plays that allows us to "foster community dialogue through theatre about socially-relevant issues," this play is a godsend. It is so important that we discuss rape culture, but how does one convince audience members that this is a play they need to see? ELEVATOR GIRL is one of those rare plays that audiences will inexorably find themselves drawn to, and it will remain with them long after they have left the theater. This play is a workshop on engaging, relevant, and vital theatre.

I got lucky and happened to be in NYC when there was a reading of this play and I'm so glad I got to hear it. It has great characters, particularly a heroine that provided layers, grit, and intrigue. The two men were engaging in their own right and made Elevator Girl's journey compelling. What I was most impressed by was the story's ability to bring the genre of graphic novels to a theatrical setting. I could hear that and visualize it from the reading. And I loved the feminism bones that held up a meaty and dramatic plot.

This piece bravely uses the superhero plot to take on rape culture. This is a piece where Vanessa gets into a situation that's relatable---as her workplace ideas get stolen and her comic heroine is objectified by the men in her life. Hoke does good work here flipping the narrative in fun, surprising ways. I hope it continues to receive support and development towards production, as it will easily find an audience.