←Recommendations of Letter to my Brother

This boxer is tough. He is skilled, he is methodical, and he is a champion. But as an older brother, he is full of caring, love, and nostalgia. These are not contradictions in Franky Gonzalez's play. They are the complex tapestry that make the events that the boxer is about to face one of the hardest nights of his life. And we are invited in to the most private moments before the public showdown in LETTERS TO MY BROTHER.

It is a powerful short play, with an amazing monologue for an actor to dive into.

An incredibly powerful story of sibling rivalry and loyalty with the love that overrides any pressure or public demand. Well done.

Aw, man!!! Gonzalez takes a great “what if?” and performs a miracle: a epistolary monologue that tells the lifelong story two brothers while imagining an impending title fight, somehow making it all unfold with the intensity and emotion of a 15-round championship match. He expertly weaves the past and the future into the now, when the stakes, physical and emotional, could not be higher. Then, at the apex of a hypothetical altercation, he hits the audience where we live. I cried like I’d been gut-punched. Give Gonzalez the championship belt and raise his hand in glory!

Let this dramatic letter by Franky Gonzalez take you, it moves so gracefully, rises so well to a personal, emotional climax - one of the best examples of a monologue doing so that I've read. It is tense and moving, it tells you to put your guard up, but catches you with it down. Very impressive writing about the codes of brotherhood and warriors. Was the letter sent, do the depictions actually occur, would they be right or wrong if they did? A perfect short play.

Sibling rivalry is about to come to a boil at the onset of this finely crafted 10-minute play. But the Boxer, perfectly capable of obliterating his opponent, chooses altruism and love instead. Gonzalez displays a strong command of the world of pugilism, and his imagery works beautifully here: shadow boxing… references to living in another’s shadow… His Champ resolves to kill with kindness, and forego what might be an easy victory to otherwise give room. Elegantly pointed contrasts between the crudity of physical violence, and the mercy of a brother’s love. A knockout.

Just beautiful. Gonzalez is one of the most emotive playwrights I've ever read. Everything on the page is so beautifully felt. We know these brothers and their beautiful bond. A gorgeous, unique monologue made for a talented actor. The story that this play tells is incredibly powerful and the emotional impact is huge. Check out Gonzalez's work if you want to learn how to write powerfully, but truthfully.

A (mostly) monologue that moves like a butterfly and stings like only family can. A beautiful tribute to brotherhood that transports you into the middle of an exhilarating heavyweight fight only to knock you out with pure tenderness. The toughness of the character makes his sincerity all the more touching. Highly recommend.

Fast and fierce, this short play is charged with emotion and depth. I especially enjoyed the huge scope of life Gonzalez was able to evoke in so few pages.

This play is brutal, it is touching, disarming-- stunning. Gonzalez really cuts to the heart and the strength of a brother's love in LETTER TO MY BROTHER. A monologue that throws you into the ring and delivers jabs right to the feels. Gorgeous work.

What a stunner. It is 90% monologue - but you become so involved in the fight you believe you are (and the character is) already in the ring. You see and hear and feel the showdown. And in the end, this play has nothing to do with the upcoming fight and everything to do with love, brothers, family and sacrifice. Beautifully done.