←Recommendations of and Isabella Bootlegs

A terrific look inside the generational trauma that binds us. Powerful and well done!

A fascinating and creative structure to show how four generations of women cope with the problems of society and everyday life. Cooper seamlessly stitches together different timelines in a way that feels almost dreamlike, but also grounded in real life events and struggles. The specter of the dead hangs over the play, at the same time it manages to be very funny.

and, and, and Isabella Bootlegs is a fierce play, a bubbling kettle filled with curious and flavorful tea, it's characters all building up the courage to whistle (or simmer) at any moment. Cooper's story is rich and daring, she executes complex and heartfelt storylines with crisp, simplistic precision (and some heavy, dark laughter) to orchestrate what will truly be a powerful night of theatre. You can't help but wonder about the mysteries and secrets of own family's history after taking in this excellent play.

A rugged, wild play that knots and unknots the intergenerational trauma as lived out by four women in the same family. Cooper solidly ties this play to location; tracking place across time, showing the audience a time when Oregon was the frontier, and now, when where it’s not a terrible place to grow up. Cooper’s dialogue shows the texture of these women’s souls.

I think this play is just dazzling. Interlocking stories of mother-daughter conflict and inherited trauma told with Gothic flair and supremely confident theatricality. I'm talking bootleggers, secrets in the attic, dead bodies in the freezer, and ghosts every way you turn. It's a rich, knowing play that feels utterly present while probing through the past.

An intricately woven tapestry of four different women and how pain, trauma and abandonment are passed through nature and nurture. By tracking four generations of the women in this family, the play shows both how we create ourselves as individuals and how we are created, and haunted, by those before us. A beautiful, tragic look at the pain and necessity of setting off on your own journey refracted through time and space.

"and, and, and Isabella Bootlegs" is a dizzying, soulful and haunting play. With real theatricality, death becomes a tear in space-time, connecting generations in pivotal moments of grief in a story that feels both intimate and immense. Cooper's language is rich, nimble, with real weight. The worlds it creates feel full, the moods and tones palpable, and the way history weaves in and out is so elegant. Huge bonus: plenty of strong roles for women.