←Recommendations of How To Destroy An American Girl Doll

Rosenberg has that notable ability to communicate so much of who their characters are purely through dialogue, Gen and Vee hiding so much as adolescents while at the same time emotionally naked to the audience. "How To Destroy" is painful, but at last hopeful, suggesting a way through which is neither easily won nor at all expected, which is something we all need right now.

Unflinching representation of girlhood grappling with eating disorders and sexual identity

This play punched me in the gut and made me feel incredibly seen. A powerful exploration of female friendship with an empathetic and honest depiction of eating disorders--and the first time I've seen asexuality represented on stage. Produce this play!

This gorgeously written deep dive into a darkly funny outlook on what it means to be a girl and, conversely, what it means to become a woman. Jan is unafraid to broach into the all-encompassing matters that follow this-- addiction, eating disorder culture, body image-- with sensitivity but also a little mischief and mirth that from a young girl would entail. I was thoroughly moved. Produce this play.

A powerful exploration of identity, responsibility, addiction and bulimia, leavened with bursts of unexpected, but effective humor. The scenes of instruction in purging and the revelation of who taught Dee to purge are particularly wrenching, especially because they are not sensationalistically graphic. The final scene, with it's opening misdirection making Vee's return a shock, finally hints at some level of self-acceptance while acknowledging the damage that came before. All in all this is a rich, complex and compelling work.

An honest and open exploration of a relationship through addiction, recovery and the journey of life. Well done.

A beautifully raw, open chronicle of the rollercoaster that is teen identity and the ways in which they are navigated through association with kindred spirits as they come and go. Gen and Vee's relationship is so real and textured, with so many points at which they intersect alongside so many more points at which they diverge, in an extremely honest, rough perspective on multiple complications that emerge as they grow, including eating disorders, identity, and how we idealize others. Beautiful stuff.

With blazing honesty, Rosenberg explores the relationship between two young women over the course of nearly a decade. Gen and Vee are two distinct characters who grow and change as the play progresses. I also found this play very edifying in terms of asexuality, something I don't often see portrayed with much depth. I also have to commend Rosenberg on her tasteful, careful, and respectful depiction of eating disorders. I loved this funny and moving play!

I'm convinced that Jan Rosenberg sat-in on my childhood conversations with my middle school (and current) best friend... uncanny! This play awesomely captures 2000's nostalgia. Additionally, it's awesome to see asexuality as a subplot, because oftentimes in LGBT+ plays, only gay and lesbian narratives are represented. Juan is adorable. An intriguing read!

What a spectacular, visceral, wrenching, and tenderly-written piece. Rosenberg has, again, created a vital piece of theater that fleshes out and complicates theatrical representation of folks who live with eating disorders. Even while zeroing in on just a few well-chosen characters, Rosenberg speaks volumes about body image, shame, addictive behaviors, mental health, and what it means to be a young woman grappling with these things on a daily basis. With an intersectional eye towards sexuality and race as well, this play further plumbs subtle and nuanced layers of the aforementioned issues. I hope to follow the play's trajectory!