←Recommendations of Into The River I Went

I love the parable-like theatrical world Diaz-Marcano creates here! The structural trajectory of the play is also exciting--we begin with funny and sharp barb-trading, segue into a paradigm-shifting conversation between two women, and then finish with a freight-train finale that is tense and satisfying. Diaz-Marcano's eye towards the intersectionality of the characters provides a nuanced and complex exploration of what happens when comfort and prejudices get between two forces that should be allies. Rather than wallowing in tragedy, the play shows up a model of what happens when the privileged majority takes a stand against a toxic-but-devil-you-know enemy.

A play that truly surprised me. You really think you know where this battle between two strong women is going but then they connect and it becomes a play about how women are pitted against each other. They needed no men on stage to come to that conclusion and understanding. Only when the men return does all hell break loose again. An ending that brings a smile to the faces of characters and audiences while also being utterly horrifying.

There is a magic that comes with Nelson Diaz-Marcano’s work that speaks to something immediate and necessary. In Into the River I Went, Nelson examines society at all levels but through the lens of horror. You will be taken in by the tension and the menace woven throughout. And while the play is a relevant and socially conscious piece of theatre, Diaz-Marciano does not trade the important message off for good narrative. It still is a darn interesting story and a work that will have people in all positions of the theatre excited to bring it to life.

An intriguing mix of horror film, psychological magical realism, and contemporary truth, "Into the River I Went" kept picking up steam as it went along. As someone who does a lot of technical theatre work, the idea of bringing the Beast's being and all the ways it could be represented was thrilling. A timely story of two very different women with one tragedy in common.

Diaz-Marcano is a writer to watch. His fierce plays engage on a deep level to provoke the audience into reexamining their biases and long held beliefs. This play's strong plot builds to a exciting payoff that a lot of people need to see. This writer is someone I would love to see commissioned and valued for his unique perspective on life in our times.

I will never get tired of reading Nelson Diaz-Marcano's work! Once again a necessary beautiful story that tackles some of the very real problems in our society(race, gender, culture, rape), and the very real ways that people react when encountering these problems, and had me thinking about my own personal philosophy; and the pay-off is one of the best I've read in a very long time. This play is a must add to any theatre season. Read this. Re-read it. Think about it. Never stop thinking about it. Produce it. Keep on producing it.

This is my favorite Diaz-Marcano play I have read to date and I'd like to be the first to predict a long production history and plenty of awards. Fantastic dialogue, engaging and important story. I love Janet and Raquel--they are two powerfully awesome women, both deeply flawed, who team up together when they need to the most. The mythical, magical element adds a more fantastic element to the story--and the end would have me stomping my feet and cheering in the theatre. A great piece about putting true evil where it belongs. Diaz-Marcano is one to watch.

The plays of Diaz-Marcano speak to us on several levels -- political, sexual, feminist, and the mythic (Puerto Rican or Latinx and U.S.). INTO THE RIVER I WENT is no exception. It has a strangeness like in Erin Courtney's Demon Baby, and its subjects of rape, gun control, and race politics makes it topical. The character of the Beast will be a challenge for director and design artists, and the shocking showdown a dream-come-true for a fight choreographer. If you're not reading Diaz-Marcano, join the club. Read, produce, share his work.