It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Alex Burkart and their play El Cíclope as a finalist for our 2018 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 53 finalists out of more than 1,4200 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process. Our readers deeply responded to this coming-of-age narrative in both its epistolary method of storytelling and call for readers to reflect on their own mentors as well.

Beautifully tragic coming-of-age tale with characters who learn the power of storytelling to transform. This story has great specificity of place and characters; I feel like I was able to see all hidden corners of light and darkness in this small, mid-western town. Enjoyed the natural flow of the bilingual scenes as well.