←Recommendations of Small Jokes About Monsters

Steven Strafford writes with incredible humor and expert pacing in SMALL JOKES ABOUT MONSTERS. The four characters are all distinct and fully realized in their complexity with revelations that spin each of them in unexpected directions throughout. And the story itself is thrilling from start to finish as Strafford guides us through high comedy and dark, poignant truths with insight and confidence. This is a beautifully complex and highly entertaining play that would also be a delight for actors and a production team.

What a small gem of a play! In this play, Stafford uses humor to show how family members can turn against one another in the wake of tragedy. The jokes begin as lighthearted fun, but they become more barbed as the play goes on. This play starts as an examination of grief but shifts to investigate who is responsible for the trauma in this family. The reveals had me screaming at my computer screen! I am jealous of the audience that got to see this play onstage! Dear God, I hope I get the same privilege one day!

An expertly crafted dramedy that basks in the glory of tormented family ties in the face of everything left unsaid. The love is as strong as the hate. So strong is the hate that it turns into love again. This play takes no prisoners and cares not if it's sublimely timed tonal shifts give you whiplash. Buckle up buttercup.

I adore this play!! Three brothers are in town for their father's funeral, and their father left one son more money than the others -but why? The dialogue is quick and smart and very funny. I really enjoyed listening to this little, flawed family come to terms with so many things. I also really loved all the tiny, subtle things that made me laugh in the midst of this larger conversation about very un-funny things. What a great piece!

A really captivating play that explores the dynamic between adult siblings with laugh-out-loud humor and heartbreaking honesty. This is one of those plays I found myself performing out loud more than reading.

A smart, poignant, witty family dramedy that is beautifully structured and absorbing from beginning to end.

A dynamite addition to the "family gathers for a funeral" genre that feels as fresh and exciting as if it were the first one. Humor and pain are the love languages of this family -- and boy do I love them, in all their hilarious, sharp, miserable and loving glory. The whole thing is wildly entertaining -- laugh-out-loud funny with perfectly punctuated gut-punches -- and every role is a gem. There's not one of these brothers I wouldn't want to play, and actresses will drool over the chance to play their unforgettable Mom. A very, very smart brain built this.

Right from its breathtakingly paced opening, Strafford grabs by the nuts and doesn't let go. Stark, using humor like a knife, has written an uncompromising, heartbreaking piece in which the family secrets are truly devastating. This long night's journey into even darker night shatters with its deeply cutting emotional bluntness. I'd love to see this staged.

Strafford straddles a beautifully balanced line between comedy and gutting drama here. In tackling huge themes like addiction, sexual abuse, and family trauma with these particular characters who cling to their use of humor like armor, Strafford succeeds in putting forth an extraordinarily human and important story in a way that doesn't exploit or sensationalize those serious topics. The tightly written piece is so well structured while still maintaining the naturalistic irregularities of human speech. I'd love to see this character-driven actors' dream of a piece in production.

An explosive family reunion that delves into the complex emotions and trauma surrounding the patriarch's death. There's a lot to unpack and with a great deal of depth and humor we explore some rich territory. Heartfelt and moving, great work.