←Recommendations of Trash

Powerful, edgy, tense and so beautifully written, this play handles dysfunctional sexual dynamics with a deft touch, and the portrayal of the power imbalance between a teacher and the students he preys on is incisive, bold and forthright. Mulley brings her characters to vivid life, avoiding stereotypes and cliché in favor of nuance and depth.

Trash pulls you in from the beginning with smart, quick dialogue and fantastic pacing. Timely approach to the topic of predatory men in power focusing on one teacher. Mulley fully draws all of her characters, avoiding stereotypical teenage girls in favor of developed, interesting young women, full of nuance. The scenes themselves could easily stand alone for scene study.

Trash is such a perceptive play, both about the charming man at its center, who repeatedly takes advantage of young people, and about the teenagers who are initially drawn to him. Mulley somehow manages to tell the story in a way that is simultaneously deeply uncomfortable and impossible to turn away from. Maybe part of it is the elegant structure, with simple, precisely crafted scenes for two actors building to an emotionally savage climax.

TRASH is a whirlwind of a play that immediately takes you into the world of a man and allows us to see who he really is with women when nobody else is around.
On the outside, he looks like any other person but in the inside, his thoughts aren’t as pure as one would hope. Throughout the play Mulley paints a picture and allows us to make our own decision of what portrait of him we see…
An interesting play about life, time and young love

This is a very assured writer. The play takes on a timely topic and approaches it with understated intensity. The dialogue is crisp and economical, and the characters come to life through subtle moment-to-moment interaction. It's a great vehicle for actors.

I've been a fan of Kate Mulley's writing for some time and I'm an even bigger fan after reading this play. Once I started reading Trash I couldn't put it down. Mulley's storytelling is engrossing and leaps off the page. I love the structure and the way she utilized time passing to reveal character and build a case against the charming (and predatory) Mr. Cooper. I'd really love to see this play up on its feet and onstage. Excellent work, Kate!

Everybody's encountered a teacher like this (if they aren't that teacher themselves - if that's you, log off this website and go get some help). Mulley does an excellent job depicting his rationalizations, his petty frustrations, and his charms - right up until the point where his amorality, and the damage he's left in his wake, can no longer be denied.

A terrific capture of a man taking advantage of his position repeatedly. A call for speaking out and implementing swift consequences. Well done.

Phenomenal example of how serial abusers in positions of power exploit their status over and over again. Each new relationship between Dan and one of his students is unique and yet exactly the same without ever feeling repetitive. Easy to produce and sure to give audiences a lot to talk about on their way home, TRASH is the perfect play for any small to mid-sized theater looking for a production to round out their season while giving opportunities to young women wanting to express their frustration in our current social climate.

This play tackles the nuances and subtleties of male power in relationships. Kate Mulley expertly builds a case against Dan Copper, a character who you want to like and want to make concessions for. TRASH is deceptively simple; it was only upon reaching the end that I realized how carefully Mulley structured this piece of theatre to leave you without question of Copper's guilt: here is a man who knows the difference between right and wrong, and keeps charting an easy path for himself, leaving women damaged in his wake.