←Recommendations of Back Cover

I'm currently in a production of Back Cover and working so intimately with this piece I can tell you Emily has something really special here. This coming of age story has heart, humor, and does a great honor in its tribute to those lives lost in 9/11. Such an important message about the power of storytelling. This would be a perfect piece to use in an education setting to introduce this monumental historic event to young audience. I cried every rehearsal. Thank you Emily.

A terrific play about the connections between the past and present. I loved the natural reveals and the development of the play's main protagonist. Really great production for any theater company.

This is a remarkable play that manages to deal with a range of life changing events in just one act. Kudos to equally remarkable playwright Emily Hageman for creating a heart warming, yet also heart wrenching drama that audiences, young and old, will relate to. Loved it!

In this beautiful and theatrical play, Hageman perfectly captures the perspective of a 14 year old girl facing the divorce of her parents. Through that lens, she helps audiences process loss, find courage in the face of huge changes, and shows us that while the world is indeed big and scary and it's also, almost magically, small.

Emily Hageman has a knack for getting to the heart of those tear-jerking, heart-pounding, sob-inducing hotspots in our lives and making them accessible for younger actors. BACK COVER is a beautiful story about growth, adjustment, love, loss, and the learning from history. It’s incredibly poignant, easy to relate to, and would be a joy on stage. #PlaywrightPlug

Yes to all the other recommendations here - this is a lovely, moving piece that shows lots of compassion and grace to all the characters. Some wonderful roles for actresses!

A beautiful, theatrical, imaginative and very heartfelt play that would be a joy for teens or adults to perform. Hageman has a tremendous gift for capturing the voices and personalities, the emotions, conflicts, confusions and desires of teenagers and making them very real and palpable on stage. But her adult characters are just as powerful and complex and this play is no exception. I'm always excited to see what Hageman will do next!

Emily Hageman's Back Cover is a story of surprise, loss, and the overwhelming hope that is present in all stories. Hageman weaves together the lives of two girls in similar circumstances with nuance, and the ending is both rewarding and beautiful. Theatre artists will love the strong roles for women, particularly young women. Worth the read, and for stage companies looking for a short play with a dramatic punch, this one has the potential for benefits for artists and audience alike.

The "twist" in Back Cover elevates what was already an excellent play to something even more. Hageman manages to tackle some big and important themes in a play that still feels relatable and accessible to young actors. It could be done with as minimal or detailed a set as you want, and still be powerful because of its writing. I highly recommend it!

Sometimes you are reading things that just turn out to be quite magical in the end for so many reasons. This is the case for me while reading Emily's play Back Cover. The play is funny and yet so heart-breaking but in the end full of triumph as the story within story within story approaches its close you want to stand to your feet with an enthusiastic round of applause for the playwright and wish you could see this so piece of art on stage where it should be seen by everyone.