←Recommendations of The Volunteer

A powerful look at what we're willing to do for survival, even if it means sacrifice. Well done.

A chilling parable/"what if?" that so thoroughly explores the tendency towards dehumanizing one's enemies in exchange for survival and perpetuation of self-interest. Through her alternate reality, Rose effectively captures the fears and questions raised during the Cold War. The structure of the "guest lectures" gives a unique and theatrical framing to the piece without at all being didactic or obvious. On the contrary--this piece is subtle and full of humanity and nuance!

I had the opportunity to see a reading of THE VOLUNTEER at Stage Left Theatre in Chicago, and I was captivated by the dual sides of this story: the brain and the heart. What starts off as a thought experiment becomes a very emotional and humbling experience for everyone involved. This is an incredible play with certainty and a purpose of vision by the playwright that I would love to see in a full production.

THE VOLUNTEER is a fascinating examination of an oft overlooked, yet mortally relevant topic: U.S. nuclear policy. This alternate history offers an iconoclastic take on our understanding of the Cold War, taking the abstractions and institutions that define the United States' approach to nuclear warfare and challenging the audience to imagine it as a deeply personal and relational decision. With humor and heartache, this excellent play explores the past, present, and future dangers of the atomic bomb, asking all of us to consider what human cost we're willing to pay for security.

Rose has crafted an endlessly fascinating story out of a dangerous hypothetical. THE VOLUNTEER makes excellent use of theatrical conventions to persuade the audience to follow along. With great opportunities for inclusive casting, and Rose's trademark excellent dialogue, I would recommend THE VOLUNTEER to any company brave enough to face the play's many questions.

This play was a FINALIST for the 2019-2020 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support THE VOLUNTEER.

This is a sprawling, fascinating play about empathy and duty. It's quite original in its conceit yet entirely based on a true story. Highly recommend.

The Volunteer is a story that immediately sticks to you. It poses a seemingly outrageous question from a real historical law professor about deterring nuclear war, then weaves a fantastical thought experiment out of it. Playwright Rose has a knack for making convincing characters with compelling thoughts and actions. The story easily makes you question your own perceptions and biases while keeping you engaged along the way. This play lands solidly and surprisingly hard given our world's current state of affairs.

This play doesn't just force you to ask yourself, "What would I do?" It forces you to examine, "What am I doing? How am I contributing to a real possibility of this alternate reality, for better or worse?" A beautiful exploration of who we are and what we're capable of.

This play literally humanizes the decision to take millions of lives with the push of a button. It begs the questions “who are you willing to sacrifice?” and “who would you sacrifice everything for?”. This is an incredibly captivating and quirky political play with a very human heart.