←Recommendations of Bev.

The human mind is a wonderful thing and when you read a short play like Bev you easily admire the imagination of a writer like Gina Femia. This smart piece of work takes sibling disagreement and rips the skin of it through the use of a supernatural intermediary and in doing so throws up a whole raft of discussion points; responsibility, family discord, euthanasia.... it's all here and more. Writing that makes you think, think and think again!

Femia's use of the surreal is always controlled and purposeful, here perhaps at it's best. It adds a dimension without swallowing focus, it sharpens without outshining. A balancing act that would be impossible in the hands of a weaker playwright, but luckily for all of us Femia is a powerhouse.

BEV is a dark, at times funny, look at siblings in a difficult and sad chapter of their lives. As they find themselves in stark and desperate surroundings, they are forced to face their recent past, their loss of their sister. Then along comes an awkward, sarcastic mermaid who gives them quite the ultimatum! I love this play!

Beautiful. Haunting. Funny. Profound. It is not easy to combine those elements into a play, let alone a short play, yet Gina Femia masterfully combines them to create a captivating tale of sisterhood. There is something very magical about this piece!

Femia has made me cry again. This is a very beautiful, magical, and sometimes funny short piece dealing with grief and blame. I'd love to see this produced somewhere. It's also a really great scene for anyone looking for short pieces for three actresses that passes the Bechdel test.

So much is accomplished in so few pages. I love the production possibilities for this play, the sisters and their predicament, and of course MERMAIDS. Who doesn't love mermaids? The mermaid totally steals the show, and it makes me wish there was a whole full-length just about her. Femia has such a talent for writing characters that you just crave more from. Really well done.

A magical and wonderfully funny-in-the-midst-of-tragedy play for 3 actresses! Also, for some reason I kept reading the mermaid as having a sort-of Minnesotan accent which only added to the level of dark humor onboard.

‘Fighting releases negative energy unto the universe.’ Sisters Gwen and Cindy are stockpiling it in Gina Femia’s short exploration of life and death, guilt and blame. The cold, stark loneliness that is the life of a mermaid seems strangely tempting compared to what these sisters must endure while trapped in the boat together. But a choice must be made. And the universe responds... not so kindly. This play will make you want to hug your loved ones. Even the ones who are sometimes tough to love.

I love this short play by Gina Femia. I love a play that begins with characters trapped, as these two sisters are trapped -- in the middle of a frigid sea without a paddle. This play tackles mortality, grief, and anger with a delicate touch. It's both funny and deeply moving. A great, imaginative piece that would be a great addition to an evening of short plays.

A quarrel between sisters in an unusual setting...a kayak in the East Siberian sea. And there's an unusual visitor: a mermaid who doesn't make anything better. Femia thinks outside the box to deal with sisterhood, mourning, and loss.