←Recommendations of Take the K Train

Creepy and chilling. There are references to Kafka sprinkled throughout this play -- some obvious, some so subtle I didn't get them until after the play was over. But all of it added to a nightmare experience for Winston, and a good, but scary, experience for the viewer. I loved all the crossword stuff!

TRULY MASTERFUL!

I was lucky to see this short play by WILLIAM TRIPLETT at the 2023 Midwest Dramatists Conference. Familiar with Franz Kafka or not, audiences will immediately be drawn into this brilliant psychological adventure that will have them wondering what is reality and what is fantasy. Strangers, newspapers, crossword puzzles, and an escalating train will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. BRAVO!

It's always easy to spot the influence of other writers in some plays, and sometimes that spoils the fun, as if you know what's coming and you're waiting to see how it gets there. Not so in his inventive and twisted -- in a good way -- tale of the travels of Winston on the subway. If the name of the train is a giveaway, just wait to see where it takes you. Bill Triplett's skill at leading us one way and landing us somewhere else is on full display, and the ride is so very much worth it.

This is a bizarre little play that's equal parts fun and strange. It's hard to say much without venturing into spoiler territory, but just think of it as an abstract, yet accessible, piece. I think a director would have a rewarding experience with this one, given that it has some interesting stage effects that are achievable on any size budget but still would look cool as heck to audiences. Just don't take the train home after seeing this one! :D Saw as a staged reading at the 2023 Midwest Dramatists Conference.

Perhaps the most original play in the "spooky/horror" genre I have ever seen. Triplett use of sound and light cues augment drum tight dialogue to build incredible tension. This play would be easy to stage and perform while providing maximum discomfort and chills for the audience. A perfect Halloween play or for any stage looking to explore the dark. Think "twilight zone episode" but better!

An offbeat cross between a nightmare and a slice-of-life vignette. To its eternal credit, the play offers neither predictable twists or easy answers, leaving the reader with an unresolved sense of dread. Kudos to Triplett for his restraint.

A strange little play that keeps you guessing all the way through! I love the discoveries that Winston makes as he tries to make sense of his reality, or is that surreality? Spooky!

Clever, well-crafted, and a step above the typical literary send-up. It has a light touch, but succeeds in evoking the insanity of modern life just enough to also be disturbing and memorable.

A funny, creepy piece! Although the references to Kafka are explicit, the play comes off as an odd and fascinating combination of Orwell and David Ives. Wonderfully surreal.

You will enjoy how Bill Triplett gradually screws up the pace and tension in this exciting little short, with passenger Winston taking a "surreal Kafkaesque journey" in the company of two eccentric fellow-travelers and not knowing where his train is heading or even in what decade. The allusion to Kafka is explicit (there's your K), but even more this piece reminds me of a miniature Twilight Zone episode. Very stageworthy as Rachael Carnes notes in her review.