←Recommendations of EMERGENCY CONTACT

A casual hook-up turns out to be anything but casual between these damaged and sympathetic men. The crackling dialogue allows each to reveal his inner demons and to achieve his painful resolution. The narrative becomes progressively more gripping as the stakes rise and revelations are forced. We share an honest journey with three vividly drawn and complex characters whose stories could not be more compellingly rendered.

I really loved this play. A play about hookup between two people that meet on an app that goest terribly wrong. You can tell from the minute Shawn walks into Derrick's apartment that this night will not go as planned but there was no predicting what would actually happen. This play is such an honest depiction of mental illness and codependent relationships. All three of these characters have their own demons to deal with and I really appreciated getting to witness them at their most vulnerable. Produce this play.

This play is built with very real dialogues and characters you want to get invested in. The audience becomes a fly on the wall one fateful night when two people, both messed up in their own way happen to meet and, through a series of events that feel like they could happen to anyone, a third joins them. From the word go you want to know what is happening and as the story unfolds you NEED to know how it will progress. Its a wonderfully real and emotional piece that frames the compexity that is circumstances and relationships

These characters really capture your interest and make you need to know just what their deal is. The ending was quite the unexpected twist and leads to a highly emotional conclusion that leaves you hoping for the best for these characters' futures.

Oooh this play! Three nuanced, complex characters find themselves together in the middle of the night when one becomes very sick and his potential one night stand calls the emergency contact in his phone, which ends up being the ex-boyfriend. I loved how all three are both flawed and sympathetic, and how the play deftly explores relationships (of all kinds) as well as race, mental health, and self-loathing.

An authentic and fascinating examination of three lives, thrown together in unexpected circumstances. The concept is immediately engaging and opens up to reveal fascinating intersections between three personal worlds. The manifold tensions in whether or not to accept help once it arrives leads to some of the most heart-wrenching and gorgeous dialogue I've read in a good while.

EMERGENCY CONTACT by Nick Malakhow is such a beautifully layered play about queer relationships, both romantic and otherwise. The three characters are multidimensional and complex as they wrestle with intersectional issues of mental health, sexuality, race, and intimacy. I was fortunate to watch a virtual reading of this play and was struck by how well the performers connected on screen with big credit to the high quality of writing and direction. I'd love to watch this play come alive on stage with even greater opportunities for the physicality to enhance the story.

A beautiful concept Malakhow plays around with in “Emergency Contact” is weening the audience onto the dramatic material that inevitably envelops this play. At first you’re laughing, and soon enough, you’re crying. Malakhow has such a tight grasp of language and character creation, it’s impossible to not feel for these characters, especially Manny.

EMERGENCY CONTACT starts out as a comedic, cringe-inducing random hookup play and transforms into something much more serious and thoughtful. Malakhow examines issues like intimacy, body image, race, and mental health, but always through the lens of three complex, flawed, and utter human gay men. The dialog flows naturally, and there are some really striking images throughout as well as three great roles for queer actors. Highly recommended!

EMERGENCY CONTACT is full of heart, love, pain, and forgiveness. Manny has some truly beautiful moments, and I love how his story ends -- that he chooses his own self-worth and is generous with himself above others, even someone he loves. Shawn's anxiety hits so close to home for me; it feels so real, so personal, and so raw. Watching Derrick drown is heartbreaking in the worst way; I had tears in my eyes toward the end of this powerful play. These three men navigate their own and each other's pain with so much compassion and grace. Beautiful.