←Recommendations of Babel

What a compelling world Goldfinger has built in "Babel!" I am perhaps most astounded by her ability to achieve such masterful world-building in an intimate four character piece. Additionally, unlike many other science fiction/dystopian plays, "Babel" doesn't sacrifice nuanced characters in order to just simply focus on clearly established setting and atmosphere--it has ot all! I sincerely hope this play has a long life--it is great to see that it's getting so many upcoming productions! I hope to see one soon.

"Maybe if God did a better job, we wouldn't have to play him."
Imagine wanting a baby with your whole heart, and then learning that if she's born, she'll live the life of a prisoner. Constantly limited. Constantly monitored. Always thought of as a "monster." With no escape and no reprieve. What would you decide? That's the question Jacqueline Goldfinger explores in a play that is as beautiful as it is terrifying. An extremely prescient look at science, eugenics, and a world where your DNA is your destiny. Highly recommended!

Dreamlike. Nightmarish. Surreal. And terrifyingly realistic in its depiction of a terrifyingly possible inevitability. Using an evocative mix of poetic language and stream of consciousness dialogue, Goldfinger once again hits a bullseye capturing contemporary angst, in a work that is both beautiful and horrifying. And oh, so prescient.

A beautiful thrill of a play - futuristic/sci-fi - but also very human! I love that it centers a female queer relationship and is extremely theatrical with a storytelling stork. Goldfinger's ability to show how a world and its systems can change human thought and behavior is so important for today and beyond.

Babel was a fantastic play for the LBGTQ community. It does a great job commenting on the struggles that a same couple have when trying to have a child. I also liked how the character transformed throughout the play, specifically the two main characters and the way the pregnancy affected their relationship. Also I liked the use of the Stork and how he evolved into an important character for the play.

Everything makes sense in the technological Babel that is the future world of this play. Frightening sense. The choices presented to the characters couldn't be more fateful. In a world where babies who are less than "perfect" are sent to live in an underground village, the choice to end a pregnancy or to value life despite the powers-that-be couldn't be more difficult. In Goldfinger's skillful play the story's impact is immediate and chilling. Her world is imaginary, but the link to today is very real. Think long and hard before you press that button in the voting booth!

Nature vs. Nurture. What does a future look like when chance is eliminated. In a world free of preexisting conditions, is there art, scientific discovery, music or dance? Babel is a poignant work that leaves you pondering these questions and thankful that this is not our future but fearful because the writing is on the walls.

Babel takes place in a future that isn't so different from our own beneath the surface. This thought provoking play asks tough questions about life, freedom, privilege, and who gets to decide all that. Can we play God? Should we? Who is entitled to a happy life?

The pages fly by as you read, each character and circumstance blending together perfectly as the plot progresses. Highly recommend!

OFFICIAL SELECTION for the KITCHEN DOG THEATER 2019 NEW WORKS FESTIVAL
This play was chosen from nearly 450 submitted scripts and received a staged reading as part of our annual festival.

This play was a FINALIST for the 2019-2020 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support BABEL.