←Recommendations of This Play Is Not About Monica Lewinsky

I was absolutely hooked by the very first moment of this play. The initial image of a man standing over a woman with a frozen steak on her eye and the sharp, cutting dialogue that follows is nothing short of brilliant. Nora's scenes have depth and nuance WITHOUT being heavy-handed, a rare find in plays that reference the current political climate. I love that it’s an adaptation of history - the duality of a character that both is and isn’t Monica Lewinsky, simultaneously ambiguous and clear.

This play is creative and compassionate in so many ways - the way it jumps through time, the way it sympathizes with its protagonist, the way it doesn't show That One Relationship but writes Monica in such a way that you don't even care to see it. It's a great blend of simplicity and complexity, making it a great contender for production. Check it out!

This play is really NOT about Monica Lewinsky, and what's fascinating is the WAY it's not--somehow it makes me reexamine my own assumptions about public figures and my own relationships. I kept being surprised by the shifts in how my assumptions were undercut, and how the deliberately fictional story was informed by and reframed what I saw as the "real" story. A great example of how theatre can take us places that wouldn't work in film or TV. Lots of layers, entertaining and thought-provoking.

Sharp and insightful, Monica and her lovers breathe like real people, with the hope and pain that comes with that. Nora cleverly realizes the obstacles, both past and present, that hinder us from the connections we're so hungry for, through the figure of a woman constantly struggling to present herself as she is now without denying who she was. An excellent commentary on reckoning with relationships as a woman

This play, in a word, is amazing. It pulls no punches and tells a beautiful, heartbreaking story of a woman just trying to make it in this terrible world. It snaps, too. I've never flown through a play as fast as this one. I simply couldn't put it down. I need to see this play done, and cannot recommend it highly enough.

This story of very private moments in the life of a very public woman highlights the disconnect between the public narrative and the person. This play is an examination and condemnation of how we define women by their sexual relationships with men, especially when they are connected with a powerful man, however briefly. The Monica in this play is an woman who is trying to move on and do good work in the world and forge meaningful, intimate relationships, but she's hindered by the weight of her name. Nora interrogates our society's collective fear and loathing of female sexual agency.

Monica: This Play Is Not About Monica Lewinsky is a clever and pithy exploration of gender dynamics. Dianne Nora skillful crafts a complex female character whose identity has been shaped by other people's perceptions of her. The scenes are intimate yet relatable, funny but also profound.

This is not a play about the Clintons, the blue dress, or anything you normally think about when you hear this name. Instead, the writer has given us a heartbreaking piece about what it means to be the "Other Woman." Monica is an Everywoman. We see her struggles, her awareness, and the different ways she's being hurt by her partner. In ten scenes, the characters are well-rendered and there's strong moment-to-moment scene work. What happens when you lose your agency over your body, your reputation, your life, and your rights? This is a painful, yet necessary feminist play.

Dianne Nora cracks the feminist mystique in her bold look at the great gender divide in America. MONICA: THIS PLAY IS NOT ABOUT MONICA LEWINSKY is bravely penned and a provocative Artemisia Fall Festival 2019 Finalist.