←Recommendations of Memorial Day (Full Length)

Paul Donnelly’s “Memorial Day” is educational and heart wrenching. Donnelly gives us a vulnerable observation during the height of the AIDS epidemic, and his characters are at their most raw. This, in turn, brings us as the audience together to feel the tragedy through the play, which will stick with you even after the curtain closes.

Paul Donnelly's intimate portrait of love and loss during the early days of the AIDS crisis with dialogue fitting for a tough topic and well-crafted characters, He explores the complexities of relationships, grief, and the search for comfort in the face of tragedy. "Memorial Day" is a wonderfully written play. Enjoyed the read.

I have to imagine if you are a gay man under the age of 40 (which I am), MEMORIAL DAY is a must-read to get a taste of what life was like in the late '80s and early '90s for us. What's especially remarkable about this play as a work of human drama is how Donnelly leverages soft comedic dialogue that ironically underscores how bleak and tragic the scenario really is. George is an incredibly complex, well-drawn character and I especially appreciated his arc through the piece.

This Memorial Day weekend is early enough in the AIDS pandemic that a broken condom could be a death sentence, doctors are burning out from hopelessness, and grief is a chronic condition. Of the two couples in this excellent play, three men have lost partners and are struggling to move on. One is a doctor with a terrible secret that is tearing him up. "Memorial Day" tugs at the same heartstrings as "The Normal Heart" and "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and deserves to stand beside them as a record of a terrible time that changed Gay life, and American society, forever.

A gripping drama set during the early days of the AIDS crisis, Paul Donnelly’s MEMORIAL DAY unflinchingly captures the fear and hopelessness of that time, and raises the question of what constitutes ethical treatment. And even with the seriousness of the subject matter, Donnelly manages to lighten the mood with welcome humor, particularly with the presence of a free spirited spirit. A beautifully written play with well-defined characters, MEMORIAL DAY should be on your reading list and producers should take note.

Donnelly evokes so much emotion within this devasting play. MEMORIAL DAY is a heart-wrenching drama that is supported by well-crafted dialogue, and three-dimensional characters. It is embroidered with so much emotional depth that it will hopefully mark not just a change in the audience, but the world in which we live.

This is an emotionally gripping play about a serious topic, but it touched my heart and drew me in because it made me laugh as well as cry. The ghost of Terrence/Evelyn is such a striking aspect of the play , and the ending shook me. I hope this play has many performances and readings!

Harrowing, yet beautifully wrought and suffused with dark, campy humor, MEMORIAL DAY is a touching encapsulation of the fear, grief, exhaustion, and resiliency that typified the AIDS crisis. Donnelly’s characters are living in a world with so many earth-changing things happening all around and inside them, but they also feel like real people just trying to make it though life with as much joy and hope as possible. An achingly tender read perfect for this long weekend or any other time.

I've consumed a lot of AIDS media, but it never slapped me in the face until I watched "Tick, Tick... Boom!" I don't know why it flipped a switch. I was born in the late 90s. I've only read about it. But I look at my experiences growing up gay, and I look at these medias, and it hits me: My mentors died before I was born. A virus took them. An uncaring world took them. Reagan killed them.

This piece tugs out that sadness. It shows us five likeable men and how their hope died. Please, read this.

To take something that has been considered horrifying, like the AIDS epidemic and create something that emotionally stirs an audience is a brilliant thing. Its a play where you want to feel for the characters and the truly heart breaking events that make up some of this wonderful play will be ones you will feel and won't forget. Some theatre makes you think, some makes you feel. This piece most certainly does both and I think for that reason alone it needs to be seen.