This is an unsettling look at the ways technology has opened doors of access for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Elliot's driving force is clear and his arc is compelling and disturbing. Stark and Farticus are two perfect forces that create his rock-and-hard-place situation. What is most engaging in this piece, aside from the briskly-moving and propulsive plot, is the way Verschoor renders the internet theatrically. There's so much to play with in terms of clever casting, directing, movement, and design. I'd love to see this piece realized on its feet.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Ben Verschoor and their play Internet Hate Machines as a finalist for our 2013 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.