←Recommendations of Initiative

  • Benji Carr: Initiative by Jacob York
    “

    I recently saw the Aurora Theatre production of this full-length play, which provided lots of interesting, inventive moments that fans of Dungeons & Dragons in particular would appreciate. Though it has darker elements, it doesn’t dwell in the misery and trauma of death, which some audiences looking for a good time might appreciate. But there’d something deeper that could be explored more in future productions - if it dared - for a scene that allowed the characters to truly weep or suffer.

    I recently saw the Aurora Theatre production of this full-length play, which provided lots of interesting, inventive moments that fans of Dungeons & Dragons in particular would appreciate. Though it has darker elements, it doesn’t dwell in the misery and trauma of death, which some audiences looking for a good time might appreciate. But there’d something deeper that could be explored more in future productions - if it dared - for a scene that allowed the characters to truly weep or suffer.

    ”
  • Daniel Prillaman: Initiative by Jacob York
    “

    I caught a reading of this the other night and was floored by the immensity of York's achievement. Suddenly finding that your life has a much earlier than expected end date throws everything into anguished questioning, and it is extremely difficult to balance genuine comedy amongst these heavy, life-altering thematic issues. But York does it, at the same time legitimately reminding us of the true power and magic of DND. Building a world with friends and loved ones, building memories, even ones we may never get to see, they still mean everything. And every second is worth it.

    I caught a reading of this the other night and was floored by the immensity of York's achievement. Suddenly finding that your life has a much earlier than expected end date throws everything into anguished questioning, and it is extremely difficult to balance genuine comedy amongst these heavy, life-altering thematic issues. But York does it, at the same time legitimately reminding us of the true power and magic of DND. Building a world with friends and loved ones, building memories, even ones we may never get to see, they still mean everything. And every second is worth it.

    ”
  • Trevor Browning: Initiative by Jacob York
    “

    An immensely human play with an incredible amount of heart that explores the strength of friendships in the face of a truly impossible obstacle; you should see it with your closest pals--your nerdy high school friends or your college D&D group. It perfectly balances laughs and tragedy in a way that most stories cannot. Every character on stage is a person you know and you'll definitely find yourself feeling as though you're sitting at the dining room table with Dave and his friends at some point in the plot--and you definitely won't leave the theatre with dry eyes.

    An immensely human play with an incredible amount of heart that explores the strength of friendships in the face of a truly impossible obstacle; you should see it with your closest pals--your nerdy high school friends or your college D&D group. It perfectly balances laughs and tragedy in a way that most stories cannot. Every character on stage is a person you know and you'll definitely find yourself feeling as though you're sitting at the dining room table with Dave and his friends at some point in the plot--and you definitely won't leave the theatre with dry eyes.

    ”
  • River Timms: Initiative by Jacob York
    “

    ‘Initiative’ is that rare play that balances lighthearted fun with hard-hitting subjects, and it does so with aplomb. The gut punches never come cheap; emotional moments are built up by the care that the characters have for each other. The play has such heart with a strong emphasis on friendship, and it asks the question we are sometimes too afraid to ask ourselves: what do we do when our loved ones only have a short time left with us? Read with a tissue box at hand.

    ‘Initiative’ is that rare play that balances lighthearted fun with hard-hitting subjects, and it does so with aplomb. The gut punches never come cheap; emotional moments are built up by the care that the characters have for each other. The play has such heart with a strong emphasis on friendship, and it asks the question we are sometimes too afraid to ask ourselves: what do we do when our loved ones only have a short time left with us? Read with a tissue box at hand.

    ”