←Recommendations of Back Cover

A powerful play that I think could encourage young audience members facing similar situation - parents divorcing, moving away to a strange city, long distance relationship with a parent - to open up, to heal, to change. It's about much more than I described. A large cast play with PLENTY OF ROLES FOR WOMEN, perfect for middle schools and high schools - ready for production - check it out! You will marvel at the structuring of the story, the emotional intensity, the theatricality, the honesty, the revelations, the truths. HIghly recommended!

A moving play with a great message. Sweet and simple until it's not anymore. A surprising plot twist sheds powerful light on the play's opening phrase, before Hageman brings it all full circle. A perfect play for young performers, with motifs that resonate for audiences of all ages.

Wow, wow, wow. The one-act has always mystified me, but this one just takes you to school. The rhythm of it is soooo beautiful, and it's so layered and precise that I'm sure if I read it again, I would find even more to unpack. What a wonderful piece for all ages, just a stellar piece of work.

A really fantastic and tight piece that is perfect for school groups (large cast and lots of strong roles for women, and every role is nuanced and meaty). The play mixes humor with raw emotion and the ending totally surprised and moved me. It treats its subject matter with the respect and honesty it deserves. A really beautiful one-act.

Hageman knocks it out of the park with Back Cover, a deceptively simple script that appears to be a coming of age story (a very well-done coming of age story, at that) that takes a simple turn and becomes so much more. This one act draws us in with appealing characters and sparkling dialogue, which makes the climatic shift of the play incredibly powerful and gut-wrenching.

This piece spoke to me on so many levels - and I love the realization that everyone has a story to tell and sometimes you need to tell the story. Yes, someone you never met can affect you in important ways and this play is a gorgeous illustration of that. Hope and help comes in many forms: for Madison it is through letters, for Jessica it was a special friend. These lifelines are depicted with care. There was a gentle backdrop regarding history and it's necessity for that knowledge which framed the play in wonderful ways.

Hageman draws you in with an irresistibly appealing voice and, once you've fallen in love with these adorable characters ("That's you. You're the poop") and everything is going hunky-dory and safe, she sucker punches you with reality and history and the result is pure magic and oh my word why doesn't this have all the awards and a longer production history and why isn't it performed each year throughout the year ... Here is a play that celebrates history, learning, teachers, young people, particularly young women, kind young men, growing up and being the ones who shape our own stories.