←Recommendations of ) The Train

SHAMELESS!

In the BEST WAY!

Pynn perfectly captures the urban malaise of the subway commute! She also defies anyone who might dare to tell her that you can't describe thoughts in stage directions. (Hell, if Beckett can tell us "Gogo misses Didi"...) Playwright and play exhibit a thorough trust of their actors, director, and especially their sound designer.

This would be fascinating to stage, thrilling to perform, and enchanting to watch. And its flagrant romanticism was a balm for my weary soul!

It almost makes me want to ride the subway!

Almost...

Brava!

It's wonderful writing when a conversation can take place without any spoken dialogue. Through only physical expression and movement, we are shown the start of a relationship even as the participants struggle to communicate. What I found most brilliant about this was the way the writer draws the audience in by the simple act of providing no spoken information. The audience is laser-focused on trying to pick up visual cues to provide story elements. I would imagine the audience is supplying countless motivations and reactions from their own minds to fill in the blanks. I loved this play.

Amazing how sentiments can be conveyed even without dialogue. A noisy train and two strangers notice one another ("Is this love?) but each know it's impossible to be heard for the LOUD train and people talking. Even after both strangers exit the train and find each other on the station platform, people chatter continues and yet a connection is made. I loved this! Such a wonderful, beautiful piece Lrene.

We produced this as part of our festival in 2019, and it won third place. The piece manages to be bound by strong emotional moments but also free for actors, choreographers, and directors to put their own spin on it. It brings a lot to the table and is a great artistic opportunity for those involved!

Delightful piece with a compelling story and relatable characters, and endless possibilities for rich visual staging. Charming, lovely, and heartwarming.

A delightful short play not reliant on dialogue but with simple visual performances by two actors. A challenging yet satisfying piece for a director for sure. All with a beautiful narrative.

Such a beautiful play all accomplished without dialogue! Pynn's story is so clear, and I love that she takes us past the confines of American Naturalism into fantasy so that we can soar with the stakes and the heights of the possibilities of best outcome here. The Train is an inspirational play!

The amount of times I have witnessed encounters like this, or been a part of them showcases how realistic this play is, but Pynn takes that realism and adds a dash of dream, of movement and of hope and turns something that is often so cynical (such as our commutes) and into something truly beautiful.

A really lovely short play about making a connection in a place where, despite being crammed like sardines, most people stay within their own little worlds. This would be super memorable in the hands of talented artists, and it would also be a great piece for theater teachers to have students work on to practice body language and non-verbal acting.

Such a sweet meet-cute! I could picture the whole encounter and it left a smile on my face. Super charming.